There are some great sporting events that take place each year, but few are more significant than the NCAA Tournament. March Madness has been popular for decades, but that popularity has only seemed to get bigger with the expansion of legal sports betting.
While most bettors tend to make small bets during the NCAA Tournament, that is different from how some bettors go about it. There are some huge sports bettors out there, and they are looking to win big during March.
Biggest Bets in March Madness History
Most of the biggest bets ever made on March Madness are going to be futures betting, but there has been some big parlay hits as well. Here are 10 of the biggest bets and biggest wins during March Madness.
1. Florida -8 vs. Oral Roberts
Most bettors tend to win big when betting on an underdog team, but that wasn’t the strategy used by one bettor a few years ago. After Oral Roberts pulled off a stunning upset over Ohio State as a 15-seed, one bettor decided to fade them in the next round.
A bettor decided to make a $224,000 bet on the Gators to win and cover the eight-point spread. The reward would have been $204,000, and this bet was looking good in the first half, but things turned quickly.
Not only did Florida end up failing to cover the spread, but Oral Roberts won the game and advanced all the way to the Sweet 16.
2. Tar Heels Come Up Short
Making a futures wager is a great way to win big, but you also take on a ton of risk. One bettor found out the hard way in 2019 as picking the favored North Carolina Tar Heels ended up being a significant loss of money.
Before the NCAA Tournament started in 2019, William Hill Sportsbook took on a $10,000 bet on the Tar Heels to cut down the nets. That would have paid out $80,000 and would have been a massive payday.
That bet ended early, though, as the Tar Heels failed even to reach the Final Four.
3. “Mattress Mack” in Action
Jim McIngvale is known as “Mattress Mack” due to his furniture store that he has in Texas, and he is also one of the biggest sports bettors in the country. Mattress Mack loves to make futures wagers, and you will struggle to find anyone that has the type of cash that he does.
During the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Mattress Mack decided to place a $1 million wager on the Houston Cougars to win the title. That bet would have paid out $9 million, but ultimately the Cougars were defeated by the Baylor Bears in the Final Four.
4. Ohio State Ruins Big Bet
After a runner-up finish in the 2021 Big Ten Tournament, the Ohio State Buckeyes were a trendy pick to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. They were getting so much attention that one bettor decided to wager $100,000 on them to win the National Championship.
If the Buckeyes were able to cut down the nets and win the title, it would have resulted in a multi-million dollar win for the bettor at William Hill Sportsbook. That bettor didn’t have to sweat out his bet long, though, as the Buckeyes lost in the first round, and William Hill was able to benefit from the poor bet.
5. Futures Parlay Goes to Waste
Futures betting is usually a way to go if you want a big win, but coming to some future bets into a parlay can result in a massive payday. That was the strategy used by one bettor that looked to pick the eventual national champion.
A bettor placed a combination future wager on four different college basketball programs, and just one of them had to win the national championship. This $100,000 bet included Duke, Gonzaga, Michigan, and Kansas, and all four teams were in the top-15 betting favorites.
Unfortunately, none of those teams ended up even making the Final Four, and that bet was over before the final weekend. That was an interesting wager to make, but ultimately it resulted in a donation of $100,000.
Basketball
March Madness Contender - Kansas
6. A Chance at $47 Billion
You would think that in order to win $47 billion potentially, it would take a pretty massive wager. That wasn’t the case during the 2021 NCAA Tournament as one bettor had a chance to win that much money with a wager of just $0.10.
This was obviously a massive longshot bet, as the bettor included six huge underdogs in a six-leg moneyline parlay. There wasn’t a real threat of this bet ever hitting, but it was an impressive attempt at a chance to cash in with only six legs and a tiny stake.
7. Mattress Mack Cashes In
Mattress Mack is back on this list, but this time his bet wasn’t a futures bet at all. In fact, this bet was almost made out of desperation as Mattress Mack was potentially on the hook to lose millions at his furniture store in Texas.
Last April, McIngvale had to take a helicopter ride to Louisiana in order to place two wagers worth up to $5.5 million on the Kansas Jayhawks to win the National Championship. Mack ended up cashing in on those wagers to win more than $10 million, but all that win did was soften the blow as he was running a promotion for customers that allowed them to win if Kansas won it all.
Just chalk up another win for Mattress Mack, though, and he will continue making big wagers in the future, especially when it comes time for the NCAA Tournament.
8. 2022 Title Game Was Wild Ride
The 2022 National Championship Game not only had the attention of college basketball fans, but it also had the attention of sportsbooks. That was because North Carolina entered the NCAA Tournament with odds set at +2500 or higher when the tournament began, and several bettors got in on that action.
One bettor had a $10,200 wager on the Tar Heels when the tournament started, and that could have cashed in at $255,000. Instead, it was a bettor that made a smart live bet that ended up cashing in.
After the Jayhawks got down by 15 points at halftime, one bettor made a wager of more than $8,000 on the moneyline for a payout of more than $110,000. Sportsbooks were saved by the Kansas win, but some bettors were still able to cash in.

9. 2021 Tournament Hurts Bovada Sportsbook
The national championship for the Baylor Bears in 2021 was costly for Bovada Sportsbook, as they took a ton of futures wager on the team. Baylor had odds set at +425, and plenty of bettors loved those odds when the action began.
One bettor decided to place a $8,705 wager on Baylor to cut down the nets, and it ended up paying out nearly $40,000. There were some tense moments during that run from Baylor, but one bettor was able to cash in.
10. Wildcats Win Big For Bettor
The Villanova Wildcats were one of the favorites to win the NCAA Tournament at +450, and there were plenty of bets made on that team. Most bettors tend to go small when making a futures bet, as there is a ton of risk, but that wasn’t the case for everyone.
One specific bettor fell in love with the Wildcats before the start of the 2018 NCAA Tournament and decided to place a bet of $5,000. While this win by Villanova didn’t necessarily cause a life-changing win, one bettor was still able to win over $22,000.
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Biggest Bets in March Madness History FAQ
How much money is legally bet on March Madness?
According to the American Gaming Association, Americans are expected to legally bet around $295 million during 2023 March Madness. However, there is still a large amount of money wagered at offshore books and with cash payments to local bookies.
Who is “Mattress Mack?”
“Mattress Mack” is Jim McIngvale, a Texas business man who runs a furniture empire. He is also one of the most prominent sports bettors and is known for making massive wagers on sporting events.

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