There’s no crying in baseball, but just don’t tell Mattress Mack. The legendary Texas furniture store owner has gone ‘all-in’ on his beloved Houston Astros with a mammoth $2 million bet to win the World Series in 2021. Mattress Mack, officially known as Jim McIngvale, has become synonymous with placing large bets on his favorite MLB team, most of which are tied to promotions in his Houston furniture store.
Mattress Mack placed the 10-1 bet on the Astros with William Hill in Indiana. The bet would be one of the largest wins in US sports betting history; if the Astros go all the way, Mattress Mack would claim a net $20 million. Houston’s furniture king hasn’t stopped there, though. McIngvale has $1 million on the Astros with FanDuel in Indiana and $100,00 with The Score sportsbook in Colorado. The 70-year-old has made the news over the years with large bets tied to his potential losses on his promotions in his furniture store in Houston.
Mattress Mack Promises to Keep the Faith in his ‘Stros
“It’s very cool that William Hill took that large of a futures bet,” McIngvale said. Mattress Mack has promised that customers who spend more than $3,000 or more will receive their money back if the Astros manage to claim the World Series. According to McIngvale, you can’t put a price on the publicity that a bet like this brings and he has promised more action. “I’m sure I’ll be placing more on the Astros as we go on to the end of the season and hopefully get to the playoffs, I’m not done yet, but I’m about 80 or 90% done,” McIngvale said.
McIngvale is confident that his beloved Astros can get the job done. “The Astros have six good pitchers and a lot of great hitters, so we’ll see what happens,” McIngvale told ESPN on Wednesday. “I thought at 16-1 and 10-1 it was definitely an overlay, so I’m in it to win it. Go Stros,” he added.
Caesars Entertainment had no issues with Mattress Mack putting this wager on the table
Mattress Mack has made a number of large bets over the years and has lost more than a couple. Perhaps Caesars, which recently completed the purchase of William Hill, recognizes this and welcomes his money. “This wager certainly makes baseball season a little more exciting for us, and we’re looking forward to seeing how that plays out,” according to Eric Hession, co-president of sports for Caesars Entertainment.
This isn’t the first occasion that McIngvale has made the headlines with his sports betting strategy. He lost $1 million on the Houston Cougars to win the NCAA basketball but won big on Tampa Bay claiming the Super Bowl title over the Kansas City Chiefs in February. The Houston Astros are currently riding a nine-game hot streak and sit at the top of the standings in the American League Conference in MLB.