From now until April 8th, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament will dominate the action on television and at online sportsbooks catering to American gamblers.
As members of the online sports betting community, we tend to notice any time a massive wager is placed. With high-profile players like Drake and Mattress Mack routinely placing $1 million-plus bets, these commonplace occurrences are becoming more difficult to stay on top of.
As a member of the SBL Sports Betting Hall of Fame, Mattress Mack is a gambler worth tracking whenever a major championship is held in pro or college sports. The 2024 March Madness Tournament is no exception for Mack, as he has placed another $1 million bet on a single team to win the title.
Mattress Mack’s March Madness Bet
As usual, Mack has rested his hopes on a local team to go all the way. This time, it is the Houston Cougars, and they are by no means a long shot as a 1 seed in the South Bracket.
Legal March Madness betting sites do not exist locally in Texas where Mack lives, but offshore sportsbooks can accept players in the Longhorn State and let them wager on college basketball odds.
Mack normally travels into Louisiana and uses one of their local sports betting apps to place his wagers. This time, he used the Caesars’ Sportsbook App, where moneyline odds of +750 were being offered on Houston to win March Madness.
Mattress Mack will gain $7.5 million in profits if the Cougars win the National Championship. This wager is part of a series of Gallery Furniture promotions where anyone who purchases a mattress during the designated period will get it for free if his March Madness bet wins.
In 2023, Mack placed over $4 million in bets on the Cougars to win March Madness. Houston, also a 1-seed in 2023, was ousted in the Sweet 16.
The Houston Cougars March Madness Path
Online college basketball betting sites may be offering large payouts for a Cougars title win, but Houston is actually the second overall rated team in the current March Madness futures behind the UConn Huskies, the defending 2023 champs.
First up for the Cougars this Friday night on TNT are the 16-seed Longwood Lancers. There’s only been one first-round loss by a 1-seed in the tournament’s history, so there’s almost zero chance the Cougars will drop one to Longwood.
In the second round, the Cougars will face the winner of the Nebraska Cornhuskers-Texas A&M Aggies game. Should Houston make it to the Sweet 16, their most likely opponent would be the Duke Blue Devils.
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