Go Big Or Go Home: Local Casino Owner Bets $352k On First Round NCAA Tournament Games

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) -- March is make-or-break time for sports bettors.

With the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament getting ready to tip-off this week, everyone is filling out their brackets and placing their bets, including Michigan native and owner of The D Las Vegas casino, Derek Stevens.

Stevens placed a bet on every single First Round tournament game (except the four play-in games) totaling $352,000. He placed his bets at the South Point hotel just as the betting lines were revealed on Sunday night.

All 32 bets could pay-out a possible $320,000.

Stevens, a University of Michigan graduate, picked both the Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans to win their opening round games against Oklahoma State and Miami, respectively.

Stevens was two wins away from hitting it big in 2015 when he nearly won $1 million after placing a $20,000 bet on Michigan State to win the National Championship on a 50-to-1 wager in December 2014. The Spartans nearly made it, but eventually got blown out by Duke in the Final Four.

Stevens said he could see his hometown Wolverines make a run in the tournament this year after their impressive showing last week -- winning the Big Ten Championship after some scary plane troubles delayed their trip to Washington D.C.

However, if you're looking for a sleeper team, Stevens said Wichita State is the popular pick. He did, however, say he wouldn't be surprised to see one of the Pac-12 powerhouse teams -- like Oregon, Arizona or UCLA -- take home the championship.