Houston furniture store owner Jim McIngvale, also known as Mattress Mack, has placed a $1m bet on the Houston Cougars to win the March Madness men’s NCAA title this year. His hometown team is currently ranked number one by polls in the Associated Press and in USA Today.
To date, the Cougars’ record is 26 – 3.
Mattress Mack opted out of betting on this year’s Super Bowl matchup. However, he drove across the state border to Louisiana to place his wager on the Cougars, according to a Fox Sports report.
He placed his wager through his Caesars Sportsbook app, the report said.
McIngvale further discussed the specifics of placing his bet to Fox Sports by saying, "It was at the first rest stop across the Texas-Louisiana border, three-quarters of a mile into Louisiana. A very glamorous location to bet legally online.”
Sports wagering within Texas’ border is currently illegal. State legislators cannot bring the topic of possible legalization until the 2025 legislative session.
In related news, VSiN’s Brent Musburger has also backed the Cougars for a March Madness win. The broadcaster said that he would like Houston “to win it all.”
Author Bill Adee expressed his excitement to see Musburger once again involved in March Madness.
He wrote in a recent newsletter, “We all look forward to seeing Brent back in Las Vegas with his wheelbarrow to collect at Circa.”
This year’s March Madness tournament, featuring the top 12 teams in the country, will run from March 12 to March 16 at Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center.
