Same game parlays have become the cornerstone of American sports gambling due to their simplicity in betting, though they often result in hard-to-achieve wins. Charles Barkley has vividly illustrated this week after week on Inside the NBA. These parlays represent an incredible chunk of revenue for sports betting companies, as the dynamic odds associated with same-game parlays can be incredibly tempting for fans, despite the risk of prolonged losing streaks where the sportsbooks thrive.
Take, for example, Charles Barkley’s notorious losing streak on Inside the NBA. Sportsbooks often feature segments with celebrity analysts providing their top picks, including a regular same-game parlay from Barkley, sponsored by FanDuel. By the time of the NBA on TNT’s final regular season broadcast on Thursday night, Barkley held an unfortunate record of 0-21 with his SGP selections. However, during the Timberwolves-Grizzlies game, he finally managed to hit a +560 same game parlay, celebrating the moment with a dance in the studio.
Charles Barkley finally hit on a parlay and celebrated with a dance. pic.twitter.com/4zWkKWkgwd
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 11, 2025
To put things in perspective, if you had wagered $10 on all 22 of Barkley’s parlays throughout the season, you would have lost $164. Betting $100 would have resulted in losses exceeding $1500. Given that TNT is bidding farewell to the NBA while Inside the NBA prepares to transition to ESPN next season, perhaps this moment brings some closure. Barkley has always been candid about his gambling setbacks, making it clear that if you took his betting advice, you’re already in a precarious spot. Ultimately, Barkley’s extensive losing streak serves as an unintended but critical reminder for sports fans to exercise caution and remain within their betting limits.
