Chris Boline
When it comes to big Texas sports betting wagers on the pro teams, no one is more iconic for this than Jim McIngvale, who is best known as Mattress Mack. The owner of the massive furniture store loves his local teams, of course including the AL West champs in the big leagues. With that said, the fact that Mattress Mack has $75 million on the line for the Houston Astros to win the World Series has people all over the globe talking.
Indeed, according to a report, Mack has more than $10 million in bets on the Astros, with $75 million set to be won if the Astros come out on top in the Fall Classic. Right now, Mack has to be excited beyond belief, as the Astros are in the ALCS and have one foot in the door for the World Series. They’re getting ready to take on the Yankees/Guardians in the championship series, and they’re favorites for that.
Houston is coming off an impressive showing against the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS. They were the favorites, no doubt, for that series, but the Mariners were in prime position to win both Game 1 and Game 2 at Minute Maid Park. In Game 1, Seattle was up 7-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning, and fans were dreaming of an upset victory. Instead, Yordan Alvarez delivered with his walk-off, three-run homer.
Then in Game 2, Seattle was ahead too thanks to Luis Castillo doing his thing on the mound. Then once again, Alvarez hit a monster home run to turn the tides of the game. Houston went on to win the game and then they took care of business in Game 3 over in Seattle to move on to the ALCS. This team is focused and they’re ready to deliver for their fans, of course Mack and his big-money wagers.
Thank you for taking the time to say hello when we cross paths at the games – it’s truly a joy to meet you all!! I am so very proud to be a Houstonian and proud to be a Houston Astros fan!! GO ASTROS, God bless!!! pic.twitter.com/mKX3PpUmTU
— @MattressMack (@MattressMack) October 17, 2022
Fans continue to leave Texas to make their Astros bets
One thing that has been consistent for MLB fans in the Lone Star State is that fans continue to leave Texas to make their Astros bets. Remember that none of Mack’s bets have come inside Texas, as things are still illegal there. Because of this, people are making their MLB betting wagers in Nevada, Louisiana, Arkansas and elsewhere. This is something that has Texans fuming, as they’re waiting for changes to come.
While we wait to see what happens there, even more bets will be coming on the Astros from outside locations. Houston indeed holds the No. 1 World Series betting odds and their number is going to keep improving through the best-rated sportsbooks if they keep playing so well. In the ALCS, the expectation is that the Astros will be able to move on without any issues. The fact that they have home-field advantage will be massive.
Then if that happens, they’ll be getting ready to take on either the Phillies or Padres in the World Series. While both of those teams have recorded improbable runs, it’s hard to imagine they’d be able to take down Houston with the glory on the line. With the Phillies, this team is led by Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and others. As for the Padres, Juan Soto and Manny Machado are two of the best sluggers in the game.
Still, though, the Astros have Alvarez, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander and more. Those guys alone are why so many fans out there have so much faith in Houston. People in Texas may be furious they can’t make in-state bets on this team, but that doesn’t mean they’re not finding ways to get the job done. They’ll keep making these bets out of the state until some kind of an update on sports betting arrives. When will that happen?
Refused to lose. pic.twitter.com/Wuste4gS7N
— Houston Astros (@astros) October 16, 2022
The future of sports betting in Texas remains unknown
What has so many people upset is that the future of sports betting in Texas remains unknown right now. One day, it feels like there’s some sort of a positive movement, but then the next, lawmakers and politicians voice how they don’t want sports betting to arrive in the near future. This only adds to the anger for the proponents of sports betting, as it makes it feel like there’s a delay on the way once again.
Right now, everyone is hopeful for sports betting by 2024 at the latest. However, no one knows if that will be able to come to fruition or not. Big names like Beto O’Rourke, Jerry Jones, Mark Cuban and more keep pushing for this. Jones knows how valuable sports betting would be for the NFL community as a whole in Texas.
However, even people like Jones know that there may be a big of an uphill climb for Texas as a whole. With more and more US states approving betting, it only makes Texas, California and Florida look worse. People are going to have to keep waiting for some sort of a good update, but no one knows when and if that will come.
