The Houston Cougars defeated the Oregon State Beavers on Monday night, becoming the first team to reach the Final Four, which fans can watch online with a Hulu trial. This news excited members of the fanbase, especially one person that made a massive wager. The “Mattress Mack” placed a seven-figure bet on the Cougars to win the national championship.
According to Darren Rovell of The Action Network, the Mattress Mack is Jim McIngvale, a Houston-based owner of Gallery Furniture stores. He flew from Houston to Denver on Friday night simply to make a $1 million bet on the Cougars to win the NCAA Tournament. He got back on his plane and flew back to Houston. If the bet works out, McIngvale will walk away with $9 million.
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In order to make the best, McIngvale used the DraftKings mobile app. “DraftKings had the best number at 9-1 and they were willing to take the full amount,” he explained to The Action Network. “We’ll do some sort of promotion,” he added. “Maybe if they win the first game, you get 50% off your purchases and if they win the second, the title game, you get 100% off.”
At the time of the wager, Houston had only reached the Sweet 16 after defeating Rutgers. The team faced off with Syracuse on Saturday, securing a 62-46 victory to reach the Elite Eight. Houston then played Oregon State in a hard-fought game, securing a narrow 67-61 win after some late mistakes by the Beavers.
With the wins complete, Houston will now take on Baylor in the Final Four. Winning this game will send the team to the national championship game and bring McIngvale one step closer to a massive payday. Now he will just need the team to win two more games.
The Houston resident has regularly turned heads over the years with his bets. He won $2.67 million by betting on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. He explained at the time that the Buccaneers are loaded with talent and led by “the greatest football player of all time.”
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