Bouncing back
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale is aiming to bounce back after missing out on $35.6m wagering on the World Series by betting $2m on the NFL’s New England Patriots to win Super Bowl LVI. If the Pats hoist the Lombardi Trophy on February 13 next year, McIngvale will pocket $46m.
Barstool Sports took to Twitter November 19 to share McIngvale’s bet:
The 70-year-old’s Pats wagers include $1.25m placed with the Barstool Sportsbook and $750,000 at theScore Bet. Both the Penn National Gaming-owned sportsbooks gave McIngvale odds of 23/1.
After a rocky start to the season, Bill Belichick’s team now tops the AFC East courtesy of a five-game winning streak.
Mack backs Mac
According to theScore Bet, McIngvale “is jumping on the Mac Jones bandwagon with both feet.” University of Alabama’s Jones was only the fifth quarterback selected in the 2021 draft behind the likes of Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence, and the New York Jets’ Zach Wilson. The Pats picked Jones at number 15 overall in the draft.
While Jones might be the toast of New England right now, McIngvale has affirmed that he backed the Pats due to the “value price” and his betting experience – something he also attributed to his choice of the Houston Astros for the World Series.
Although the Houston NFL franchise lost to the Atlanta Braves on November 2, they have made three trips to the World Series in the past five years. McIngvale told The Action Network that for him “the Pats are like the Astros […] they, of course, have been there before.”
Ride or fade?
While Belichick is showing all the trademark signs of another blowout season, McIngvale’s monster wager could make seasoned handicappers reconsider backing the Pats. Although he won $3.46m when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers trounced the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 to win Super Bowl LV, McIngvale has experienced a recent losing streak.
McIngvale also lost around $15m on the 2019 World Series
The sports bettor lost $1m backing the Houston Cougars in March Madness this year, later also losing a multimillion-dollar wager on Essential Quality to come up trumps in the Kentucky Derby. MLB has also proven unkind to the bettor. As well as losing out on $35.6m in this year’s baseball showpiece, McIngvale also lost around $15m on the 2019 World Series.
That said, Barstool Sportsbook’s founder Dave Portnoy took to Twitter to describe McIngvale’s Pats action as “probably the smartest bet ever made,” confirming that he was even considering upping his own $20,000 bet:
Regardless, if the New England NFL franchise wins next year’s Super Bowl, the Houston businessman will reap one of the biggest potential payouts in American sports betting history.