Winners and losers

The 2021/2022 NFL season has finally come to an end. Super Bowl LVI played out Sunday night at SoFi Stadium in typical star-studded style. On the field, the Los Angeles Rams proved too good for the Cincinnati Bengals, ultimately securing their second Super Bowl win. Off the field, the world of high stakes betting also had its winners and losers.

the largest mobile wager of all time

Jim ‘Mattress Mack’ McIngvale lost an eye-watering $9.5m wagering on the Bengals to take the win. He placed two wagers with Caesars Sportsbook, with the second bet of $5m marking the largest mobile wager of all time and the biggest single bet on Super Bowl LVI. In total, he could have won $16.2m.

Meanwhile, fortune smiled on global superstar Drake. The Canadian rapper placed three bets on the big game. His two winning bets on the Rams and Odell Beckham Jr. secured a grand total of CA$880,157 (US$689,779) in profit. Sadly, his third losing props bet cost him up to CA$500,000 (US$391,475), meaning he walked away with at least CA$380,635 (US$298,304) profit.

Big losses and substantial gains

Houston furniture store owner Mattress Mack is well known for placing multimillion-dollar wagers, but his Super Bowl bets were some of his largest yet. He initially broke the mobile betting record with his first $4.5m Bengals wager with Caesars, and proceeded to shatter this again with his second bet of $5m on Friday night.

NewsNation took to Twitter last week to share an interview with the man himself:

The gambler uses his large wagers to offset promotional offers at his furniture store. Commenting after the Bengals loss, Mattress Mack said: “It’s tough to lose almost $10m… but all that matters to me is family and my customers, and I would have loved to see them win.”

Maybe McIngvale can learn a thing or two from Drake. In addition to backing the Rams to win Super Bowl LVI with CA$600,000 (US$472,540), he also placed CA$500,000 (US$391,475) on Odell Beckham Jr. to score a touchdown – something he did in just the first quarter. The Rams receiver couldn’t deliver for Drake’s last CA$500,000 (US$391,475) wager however, failing to make 62.5 receiving yards after suffering a knee injury.

How did it play out?

The Bengals were the clear underdogs going into Super Bowl LVI with sportsbooks offering odds of around +170 for them to win. Surprisingly, it seemed the Bengals were about to cause a major upset with around six minutes left on the clock, securing themselves a 20-16 lead thanks to two touchdowns from Tee Higgins.

Cooper Kupp scored a late touchdown

The Rams held their nerve, however, with QB Matthew Stafford leading a game-winning 15-play drive in the dying minutes. Ultimately, Cooper Kupp scored a late touchdown to complete the team’s comeback and secure the Rams’ second NFL title. Kupp secured the accolade of MVP in the process.

The game ended 23-20 to the Rams, and that was all she wrote for the 2021/2022 NFL season.