Draymond Green's Honorary Start Causes Betting Controversy

Draymond Green starting Sunday alongside Klay Thompson only to be pulled seconds later created prop bet controversy for sportsbooks.

Draymond Green’s show of support for Klay Thompson ended up netting bettors loads of money, but there was a delay before the payout.

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Jeff Chiu/AP

Green briefly took the court to support his teammate Sunday against the Cavaliers in Thompson’s first game since the 2019 NBA Finals.

After the tip, Green, who is dealing with a calf injury and won't play Tuesday against the Grizzlies, committed a foul and checked out.

Final stat line: zero points, zero assists, zero rebounds. Kind of reminds you of the infamous Tony Snell meme, only Green logged less than a full minute of game time.

Bettors who were tipped off to the plan on social media looked to capitalize on an apparent lock—betting the under on Green’s prop bets, a player known for filling up the stat sheet. The Warriors tweeted at 8:31 p.m. ET—tip off was scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET—that Green would not remain in the game beyond the opening tip.

This situation created controversy since Green only ceremonially played, which left his markets open compared to the lines being removed had he been ruled out.

This created controversy while betting sites decided how to handle the over bets and the under bets since Green technically played but it was only ceremonious.

At least one sportsbook has refunded those who bet the over and honored winning under tickets. Another chose to void over bets, while one has marked them as a loss.

So, the quick bettors were rewarded in the end after a delay that drew the attention of the sports betting industry.

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