Houston’s ‘Mattress Mack’ Bets $4.5 Million On Bengals To Win Super Bowl LVI

Written By Chris Imperiale on February 10, 2022
Texas business owner bets $4.5 million on Bengals to win Super Bowl LVI

If you pay attention to the sports world or anything related to legal sports betting, then you’ve probably heard of Mattress Mack.

The Houston resident owns a furniture store and often finds himself in the national spotlight thanks to some outrageously large bets.

Despite the lack of Texas sports betting, Jim McIngvale traveled over to a neighboring state to place $4.5 million on the Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl LVI over the Los Angeles Rams.

Mattress Mack put his action down in Louisiana, where online sports betting is active. Through Caesars Sportsbook, he wagered the entire $4.5 million on Cincinnati’s moneyline at odds of +170. This is now his largest bet ever to date.

A victory from Joe Burrow and the Bengals will put an additional $7.7 million in Mattress Mack’s pockets.

Texas’ Mattress Mack bets big on Bengals

For those who might be wondering if Caesars accepted the entire bet in one, it didn’t. Mack explained to ESPN how he needed several wagers to complete everything. McIngvale said:

“I had to make like twenty $200,000 bets to make it work. But I want to thank Caesars for taking it.”

This is now the operator’s second-largest bet in the history of the Super Bowl. In 2002, Caesars took a bet worth $4.9 million on the then St. Louis Rams to beat the New England Patriots.

That wager was much different than Mattress Mack’s.

That bettor put almost $5 million on the Rams moneyline at -900 odds, which would have only netted about $545,000 in earnings.

It turned out to be a terrible wager, as the Patriots won and Tom Brady earned his first ring.

Mack’s bet has a lot more value and is on a side with plenty of momentum, both on the field and at sportsbooks.

The head of sports at Caesars Sportsbook, Ken Fuchs, discussed some of the Super Bowl action thus far. He said:

“The Joe Burrow magic is pulling fans in, especially in Louisiana with his college roots. With this $4.5 million bet on Joe and the Bengals, Mack will make history again.”

While some may view the amount of his bet as crazy, this is something Mack is regularly doing.

In combination with his Gallery Furniture chain, he offers a full refund for anyone who spends more than $3,000 at the store if his bet is successful.

Last October, Mack bet about $13 million on his hometown Houston Astros to win the World Series. Unfortunately for locals, they lost to the Atlanta Braves in six games.

Mattress Mack’s recent wagers

Mack had better luck in last year’s Super Bowl, where he made the right choice taking the Bucs receiving +3.5. He put $3.46 million on Brady’s squad as another promotion tied to the store.

The Houston resident is usually fairly successful in these noteworthy bets, but he’s struggled somewhat of late.

In one week this January, McIngvale lost $4.7 million on football markets, including making the wrong selection for the CFP National Championship. Mack put $2.7 million on Alabama’s moneyline before the Crimson Tide fell to Georgia by 15 points.

When the NFL playoffs started, Mack’s futures bet on the New England Patriots to win it all fell by the wayside. Buffalo blew out its division foe in the Wild Card Round.

Even though some might see this as a sign to slow down, Mack is more of an opportunist. He said:

“I’ve always said that a setback is just a setup for a comeback.”

The odds for Sunday’s contest are holding strong for the most part, as Mack’s Bengals are posted at +160 on the moneyline at Caesars. It shows the Rams available at -190.

The online sportsbook differs from some others at the moment in regards to the point spread. It lists Los Angeles giving four points, compared to 4.5 at other books.

Those in the Lone Star State who make it over to Louisiana or other locations with legal betting apps will find lots of additional markets and props for the Super Bowl, too.

Photo by AP Photo/Paul Sancya
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Chris Imperiale

Chris Imperiale covers sports betting and the online casino industries. He has a journalism degree from Rutgers University and was formerly on staff at Bleacher Report.

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