The Number

From New York Times bestselling author Chad Millman, the story of the hidden force that shapes sports — and now powers America’s gambling obsession.

The legalization of sports betting in 2018 didn’t just change fandom, it unleashed a generation of bettors looking for action on everything and asking one question: What’s the number? From NFL games to presidential elections to Oscar races, the number drives billions of dollars in bets and increasingly shapes the way we experience sports, politics, and life. Whether you’re on your couch or competing on prediction markets, it’s not enough to have an opinion, you’ve got to have cash on the line. Finding the razor-thin edge can be worth millions. 

In The Number, Chad Millman reveals the secret strategies, cutting-edge technology, and larger-than-life characters behind this rapidly expanding world. The 30-year-old Bitcoin maximalist betting tens of millions a year; the NFL prop bettor who won millions, but nearly lost himself; the investigator who discovered sports’ biggest scandals; the ex-Wall Streeter turned prediction market kingpin. Millman shows us how we got here, how this system really works, and where it’s headed next. 

The Number is for anyone who has ever watched a game or turned on the news and thought: When did everything become a bet? It’s a world that has existed in the shadows for decades. Until now.