The Mack is Back.
Jim McIngvale, affectionately referred to as “Mattress Mack,” is back betting on the Houston Astros to win the World Series, and he’s betting bigger than ever before.
McIngvale told The Action Network on Tuesday night that he bet $3.25 million on the Astros to win it all this year as an insurance policy for an “Astros Win” promotion where, starting Wednesday, customers who buy mattresses of $3,000 or more in his Houston stores get their money back if the Astros win the title.
With betting not legal in Texas and Mack looking for the best lines, he flew to Colorado on Friday and got 16/1 at The Score for $100,000 and at DraftKings for $250,000.
On Tuesday, Mack put some big bucks and flew to Indiana where he bet $2 million at William Hill and $1 million at FanDuel — both at 10/1.
Total winnings from sportsbooks if the Astros win and he has to pay off his customers? $35.6 million.
"This is a potentially historic bet, and it’s one that we love to take,” said Eric Hession, Co-President of Sports for Caesars Entertainment, which owns William Hill, in a statement. “We pride ourselves on our flexible limits in our sportsbooks and sports betting apps. 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 that same statement, the Astros have received just 3% of tickets to win the World Series. They are the fifth-most likely team at William Hill, behind the Dodgers, White Sox, Padres and Mets.
It’s a lot more bang for his buck than he got in 2019, when he had the same promotion. Then, he bet $10.9 million on the Astros to win $18.8 million. Houston lost to the Nationals in Game 7 of the World Series.
The idea to bet on the Astros to win came after 2017, when Mattress Mack had to pay back his customers on a promotion but wasn’t made whole because insurance didn’t offer him enough.
Mack’s last win came in February when he had a promotion that if the Buccaneers' win, customers win. He hedged by betting on Tampa Bay, a 3.5-point underdog, and cashed $3.46 million when the Bucs won.
With their win Tuesday night, the Astros have now won nine games in a row, their longest winning streak in two years. At 45-28, the Astros now have the best record in the American League and second-best in all of MLB.
