American bets $4.5 million on Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl LVI

An American football aficionado has shown unshakable confidence in one of the two teams that will be in contention for Super Bowl LVI this Sunday, the 13th.

Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale placed a bet of 4.5 million dollars (approximately 23 million reais at the current price) on the victory of the Cincinnati Bengals over the Los Angeles Rams, in the decisive game that will take place at SoFi Stadium.

Owner of a furniture store in the city of Houston, in the United States, McIngvale uses the sports betting market to make a little more money when his business is not doing well. If the Cincinnati Bengals win next Sunday, he will receive around $7.7 million.

Las Vegas-based betting company Caesars Sportsbook announced that this was the second-largest bet the bookmaker has ever placed on the most important game of the NFL season, surpassed only by one of $4.9 million (around of 25.6 million reais).

“Joe Burrow’s magic is attracting fans, especially in Louisiana with its college roots. With this $4.5 million bet on Joe and the Bengals, Mack will make history again.” said Ken Fuchs, Head of Sports at Caesars Sportsbook.

More than 31 million Americans plan to bet on Super Bowl LVI

A record 31.4 million American adults intend to place bets on Super Bowl LVI, up 35% from 2021. According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), fans will bet $7.61 billion on the game. NFL playoffs, up $3.33 billion (78%) from last year.

Of those planning to place a bet on the Super Bowl, 18.2 million people will place sports betting online, while 18.5 million Americans plan to bet casually with friends or in a contest.

In contrast to Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale’s confidence in the Bengals, punters are trusting the Los Angeles Rams more. Although only 55% plan to bet on the Rams, compared to 45% for the Cincinnati Bengals.