“Mattress Mack” should sleep well Sunday night.
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale went viral this past week for his massive, $3.46 million wager on the Buccaneers against the spread in Super Bowl 2021, which will pay out $2.72 million as a result of the Buccaneers’ 31-9 blowout win over the Chiefs.
“Tampa Bay is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball and led by the greatest football player of all time in Tom Brady, so I’m betting big on the Bucs who have overcome tough matchups throughout the postseason,” McIngvale said in a statement about the bet prior to the game.
McIngvale flew to Colorado to place this seven-figure wager on his mobile phone via the DraftKings sports betting app from the Colorado Springs airport since Texas has not legalized sports gambling yet.
The Buccaneers were three-point underdogs at most sportsbooks, but McIngvale paid up for “the hook,” or the extra half-point to make the spread 3.5 points, meaning the Buccaneers would only have to keep the game within a field goal for his bet to hit. The move, which is often frowned upon by seasoned bettors cost him a -127 vigorish.
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale Getty Images for UNICEFBuying the extra half point didn’t matter in the end, as the Buccaneers trounced the reigning Super Bowl champions by a 22-point margin.
“I think it’s great. Obviously Tampa Bay played teriffic,” McIngvale said via Fox 26 Houston’s Mark Berman. “The happiest thing for me is so many customers were thrilled watching that game with their families. They’re getting a free mattress and they made the right choice buying from us during this promotion. Our customers believe in us and put their faith and trust in us.
“It doesn’t get much better than that. It’s a very happy night for me.”
McIngvale, 69, lives in Houston, Texas and owns the Gallery Furniture retail chain. The Mississippi native also turned heads back in 2019 after wagering $11 million on the 2019 Astros-Nationals World Series as part of a store promotion. He co-authored a book in 2002 titled, “Always Think Big,” and is well-known around the community for his philanthropic endeavors.
