Same game parlays have become the cornerstone of the American sports gambling landscape—simple to place but challenging to win. This has been consistently highlighted by Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA. These parlays represent a significant portion of the revenue generated by sports betting companies, with their dynamic odds often tempting fans. However, the allure of larger payouts frequently contributes to losing streaks, benefitting the sportsbooks.
As a prime example, Charles Barkley has faced a staggering losing streak on Inside the NBA. Often seen in gambling sponsorships, sportsbooks feature segments where star analysts share their top betting picks, including Barkley’s same game parlay sponsored by FanDuel. Leading up to Thursday night’s final regular season show with the NBA on TNT, Barkley found himself at 0-21 with his SGP selections. Eventually, during the Timberwolves-Grizzlies game, he successfully hit a +560 same game parlay and celebrated 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
If you had placed a $10 bet on each of Barkley’s 22 parlays during the season, you would be down $164. A $100 wager would leave you out more than $1500. At least this victory offers some closure as TNT bids farewell to the NBA and Inside the NBA gears up to transition to ESPN next season. Barkley has been candid about his gambling losses over the years, making it clear that he may not be the best source for betting advice. However, if there was ever a cautionary tale for sports fans to be prudent and adhere to their limits, Barkley’s losing streak serves as an unintentional public service announcement about the risks associated with parlays.
