Road to $10K Ep. 1 - The Quest Begins

At the start of the NBA season, FanDuel put $10 into my account as an incentive to finally open it again. I’ve personally never been much of a gambler, but if it’s house money, I’m going to spend it. Over the course of the last few months, I’ve placed the occasional bet, and as of today my balance is $7.99. The goal of this series is simple, turn my remaining balance into $10,000. The path to glory will be perilous, as I navigate through upsets, traps, and of course, gambling addiction. This series could go on for years, or it could be over within a month. It will only end when my account hits $0 or $10,000. The way I see it, the beginning will be the most dangerous, as I have very little leeway in terms of losses. I will start off with low-risk parlays and bets to hopefully provide myself a cushion for future gambles.

This is the big parlay I put down. I just bet the moneyline for most of the games because I don't know much about gambling beyond that. I feel like Bucs, Titans, Packers, and Chiefs are all a lock. Like Dick Todd said, I don't see Russ losing twice in a row, plus the Niners offense is injured again. Bills and Raiders kind of scare me but the payout was that much nicer with them included. To top it off, I'm a Lions stan and I think (hope) that Stafford can pull out the win and start a Lions playoff push. Although I could easily see him throwing a pick in the fourth quarter, resulting in me wasting two potential gumballs on this bet.

I did another parlay with just the teams I'm more confident about. The winnings might not look like much but I'm trying to build a foundation here. Maybe one day I can break out the big guns and start throwing down fivers on my parlays, but for now I'll be sticking with my $1 and less bets.

The Bears just got embarrassed by the Rams, the Steelers are Super Bowl contenders while the Ravens offense has been sputtering a bit, and Carson Wentz has been lowkey balling as of late. While I could see Foles come out slinging and screwing me over, I'm hoping that Drew Brees has finally started juicing to get some arm strength back.

For this one I went a little crazy and bet the spread. Herbert has been nothing short of incredible this year and I think he finally gets a statement win. Full disclosure, I only know about a dozen players total in in this matchup so I'm mainly talking out of my ass, but I'm confident in the rookie. I also think Steelers and Raiders can pull off the upset.

As a Davante Adams and AJ Brown owner in Fantasy, I watch both of these teams every week. I think they both have a shot at winning it all this year and neither's opponent is that formidable. While I don't think the Bengals will win, I could see Burrow throw the ball 75 times and keep the game close. Sure either team can put up a stinker and make me look like an idiot, but thats a risk I'm willing to take.

Five bets, $2.99 wagered, $23.22 in potential earnings. It might not be sexy, but its safe, and safety is what I need until I grow my balance. I'll be happy if I end the week at $10, but I'm fully prepared to have my back against the wall next week with nothing but $5 and a dream.