Drake is a multi-Grammy-winning rapper known for his number-one singles. But he frequently places large wagers on social media, and regrettably, the team or individual he backs generally loses. One term for this phenomena is the “Drake curse.”
Drake seemed unfazed by the allegations of a possible curse when it comes to betting on the big game. On social media, he just posted a picture of his $1.15 million wager on the Kansas City Chiefs to defeat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, writing, “I can’t bet against the swifties.” Drake appears to be willing to wager a substantial sum of money and has faith in the team’s capacity to succeed to prove it.
Regardless of whether or not the “Drake curse” is real, this might be the one time that the 49ers will rejoice that the Toronto rapper is rooting for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII in hopes that the omen that follows him is true.
What is the ‘Drake curse’?
The “Drake curse” is a popular belief on the internet that any athlete or team that receives support from the Canadian rapper Drake will lose the sporting event in which they’re participating.
This curse is believed to affect people even if Drake is only seen in a photo with an athlete or wearing a particular jersey.
But frequently, the supposed victims of the curse are the teams and athletes Drake favors to win their contests, with an Instagram photo of a betting slip providing the evidence. Believers claim his habit of sharing his large wagers on social media dooms the side he’s rooting for.
Drake’s betting history
Like anyone who is an avid bettor, they have their good days and bad. The only difference is an average person may not be making million-dollar wagers on sporting events like Drake is.
Here is a look at those the internet says have fallen victim to the “Drake Curse.”
UFC 297: Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis
The most recent victim of the “Drake Curse” was middleweight champion Sean Strickland, after Drake posted an image on social media showing a $700,000 bet in Strickland’s favor. Drake didn’t start his 2024 betting campaign on the right foot and Strickland lost his middleweight title to Dricus du Plessis.
UFC 293: Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland
Israel Adesanya was stunned by Sean Strickland when he was defeated by unanimous decision in UFC 293, which resulted in Adesanya losing his middleweight title. Drake put a $500,000 bet that Adesanya would beat Strickland by KO and posted a photo of his large wager on social media.
Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury
Drake placed a hefty $1.2 million bet on YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul to win by knockout against his opponent Tommy Fury in a boxing match held in Saudi Arabia in 2023. However, Fury emerged as the winner by a split decision. To add insult to injury, Paul even accused Drake of being the reason for his defeat.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Drake, who is originally from Toronto, Ontario, has always been a vocal supporter of his hometown NHL team, the Maple Leafs. During the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2019, he was spotted cheering on the Maple Leafs from a box while they faced the Boston Bruins. However, despite his support, Toronto ended up losing 6-4.
College Football Playoff National Championship game in 2019
Drake posted a video of himself motivating the Alabama football team before the Crimson Tide’s 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship game against Clemson. Alabama went on to lose 44-16.
The Philadelphia 76ers
In the 2019 NBA playoffs, Drake, a Toronto Raptors fan, decided to participate in the “Drake Curse” by wearing a Philadelphia 76ers jersey while watching his hometown team play against the 76ers. The unusual move seemed to work as Kawhi Leonard hit the game-winning shot, helping the Raptors advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Conor McGregor at UFC 229
Drake is a big fan of the Irish UFC star and was one of his main supporters before McGregor’s UFC 229 fight against Khabib Numagomedov in 2018. The rapper even attended the UFC 229 weigh-in and took a photo with McGregor, holding an Irish flag.
During the fourth round of the fight, Nurmagomedov put McGregor in a neck crank, which eventually forced McGregor to submit.
Johnny Manziel
Any fan of college football would know about Johnny Manziel, the Heisman Trophy winner who was drafted as the Cleveland Browns’ 22nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Drake even released a song titled “Draft Day” in honor of Manziel. However, Manziel only played two seasons in the NFL before being released due to his behavior and struggling to live up to expectations.
The song also mentions Andrew Wiggins, a native Canadian and former first overall pick in the NBA draft, who has had an up-and-down career in nine seasons.
Serena Williams
In 2015, there were rumors that Drake was romantically involved with Serena Williams. And with Drake in the stands supporting Williams, she lost to Roberta Vinci in the semi-finals of the US Open.
