More bets were placed on the over/under of how many points Kobe Bryant would score in his last game than were placed on the Chicago Bulls-Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets-Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers-Milwaukee Bucks games combined Wednesday at William Hill's 105 Nevada sportsbooks.
Books set the over/under on Bryant's points against the Utah Jazz in the low 20s. William Hill opened the prop at 21.5 points. It was bet all the way up to 25 points, with 85 percent of the tickets and 83 percent of the money on the over, according to William Hill director of marketing Michael Grodsky.
Bryant scored 60 points on 50 shots, sparking the underdog Los Angeles Lakers to a 101-96 comeback win over the Jazz.
The vast majority of bets were small, $5 and $10 souvenirs, Grodsky said. The biggest bet William Hill took on the prop being $1,000.
The sportsbook at the South Point casino also offered betting on Bryant's points. South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said his shop took around 10 $500 limit bets on the over.
"We lost, but I'm glad we put it up," Andrews said of the prop. "We lost a lot more on the Lakers covering and winning outright."
The Lakers-Jazz game was heavily bet overall. Only seven games all season attracted more money wagered at William Hill than Bryant's finale.
Las Vegas sportsbook operator CG Technology said the Lakers-Jazz game generated more betting handle than even the Memphis-Golden State game, which was highlighted by the Warriors' quest to break the 1995-96 Bulls' record for wins in a regular season. The majority of the action was on the underdog Lakers against the Jazz. Utah opened as a seven-point favorite, but the line was bet down to -3 by tipoff.
