Mattress Mack places $1M NCAA bet on Houston Cougars

Mattress Mack gives out nearly 20,000 face masks Friday

Houston personality and business owner Jim McIngvale placed a seven-figure bet on the Houston Cougars.

The Gallery Furniture store owner known as “Mattress Mack” booked a late-night flight to Colorado, where he placed $1 million with DraftKings on the Univeristy Houston at 9-1 to win the NCAA Championship.

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This historic wager would net McIngvale $9 million, and follows his winning $3.46 million Super Bowl bet on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

According to DraftKings, McIngvale’s bet is one of the largest March Madness wagers on record.

“Anything can happen in March Madness as we all know, but I’m ten toes down on Houston to bring the national title to Texas, and willing to stake a million dollars with DraftKings on that outcome,” said McIngvale. “DraftKings continues to offer an unparalleled sportsbook experience and has rewarded customers during the opening rounds for underdog picks, although hopefully Syracuse’s Cinderella story ends in the Sweet 16 against Houston this weekend. I look forward to having skin-in-the-game for the rest of March Madness and seeing these young men compete, especially after the tournament was cancelled last season.”


About the Author

Briana Zamora-Nipper joined the KPRC 2 digital team in 2019. When she’s not hard at work in the KPRC 2 newsroom, you can find Bri drinking away her hard earned wages at JuiceLand, running around Hermann Park, listening to crime podcasts or ransacking the magazine stand at Barnes & Noble.

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