Bettor In Line To Win $1M If Michigan State Wins National Championship

Derek Stevens now is one of the biggest Michigan State basketball fans.

Stevens didn’t go to Michigan State and doesn’t even live in the East Lansing area. Instead, he’s got plenty at stake financially and stands to win a cool $1 million if the Spartans can win the national championship.

Stevens placed a $20,000 bet on Sparty back in early December, and with No. 7 seed Michigan State winning the East Region, he is just two wins away from cashing in big time.

According to ESPN.com, Stevens — who owns The D and Golden Gate hotels in Las Vegas — just strolled into the Golden Nugget casino on Dec. 5 to place the bet. The wager was so big that it needed to be approved by the casino owner.

Stevens told ESPN.com this sized bet is just a little bigger than he usually places.

“I bet $1,000 on an NFL game,” he told ESPN.com. “I don’t do bets this big.”

Here’s the odd thing. We mentioned how Stevens isn’t a Michigan State guy. He actually attended State’s rival, the University of Michigan.

“If I win, I’ll give some bonus money to my employees,” Stevens said. “I also want to give some money to the (Jerry) Tarkanian Basketball Academy, and the rest I will reinvest in my properties.”

The Spartans’ Final Four matchup is set for Saturday against Duke. According to early odds, Duke is the clear favorite, but Michigan State has been beating the odds all tournament, and at this point, no one knows that better than Stevens.

Photo via ESPN/Derek Stevens