Mattress Mack Loses $4M After Betting on No. 1 Houston to Win Men's NCAA Tournament
March 25, 2023
Houston's 89-75 loss to Miami in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament on Friday night didn't just bust a whole lot of brackets, it also ended Jim McIngvale's—more commonly known as Mattress Mack—dream of winning $35 million.
McIngvale bet $4 million in total on the Cougars to win the NCAA tournament, the payout would have been the second-largest in sports betting history. He is already the owner of the biggest payout ever after he won $75 million with the Houston winning the 2022 World Series.
A furniture businessman who lives and works in Houston, McIngvale hitched his wagon to one of the best teams in the country as the Cougars entered the Sweet 16 with the second-best odds to win the whole thing at the +350, only trailing Alabama at +275.
The Crimson Tide also lost Friday night against San Diego State.
Houston was the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region after another terrific season under coach Kelvin Sampson. The Cougars went 33-4 this season and 17-1 in the American Athletic Conference, they also had one of the nation's premier players in Marcus Sasser.
They will now miss out on the opportunity to play in the Final Four in front of their home fans at NRG Stadium.
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