Guide to Super Bowl betting

We are now extremely hot on the heels of the NFL playoffs as the regular season comes to a close and beyond that the game everyone is waiting for at the Super Bowl LVII. Super bowl odds currently have the Kansas City Chiefs as the favorites to lift the Lombardi Trophy with the Bills and the Eagles not far behind them. 

With the biggest game on the US sporting calendar under a month away, millions will be placing their bets already and millions more will be placing them on the day. However, there may be some of you who are new to betting but would like to get involved in the action.

Look no further for here is a guide to betting on the Super Bowl.

We’ll start with the basics. On a sportsbook like DraftKings, markets are priced by positive (+) and negative (-) numbers. Positive numbers tell you how much you would win on a $100 bet. For example, lets say the Chiefs (-150) are playing the Giants (+300). In this scenario, a $100 bet on the Lions would win you $300. On the other side, the negative number outlines how much you would have to wager to win $100. So in the above scenario, a $150 wager on the Patriots would win you $100.

Futures

Futures are what many bettors will have placed already, some before the season had even started. It is exactly what it sounds like: you are betting on the future outcome of a game, tournament, championship etc. In this case it is the Super Bowl. You can even bet on who you believe will be the Super Bowl MVP as well as the outcome of the game, the conference that will boast the winner and more.

Moneyline

The moneyline is the most straightforward bet you can make on any sport. You are simply backing one of the teams to win the game. This includes OT and in the Super Bowl with no ties, there is of course no ‘push’ guaranteed. The moneyline often offers lower returns when backing favorites, however with the Super Bowl the culmination of what should be the two best teams in each conference after a season the odds are more likely to be tighter between the two. 

The Point Spread

The spread is amongst the most popular bets for fans of the NFL to wager. To put it simply, imagine every game has a virtual handicap for the favorite. This is what the point spread is. The favorite of the Super Bowl game will be on a negative points total before the game has started, set by the sportsbook. A half point is often used to prevent the case of a tie/push. So for example, if in our Chiefs/Giants game you bet on the Chiefs against the spread of -2.5 then they would have to win the game by 3 points or more for the bet to win. Alternatively, you could bet on the Giants at +2.5, meaning they must either win the game or lose by no more than 2 points. Spread bets are a good way to back favourites when the moneyline odds are short. 

Totals

The total is another pretty straightforward bet to make. The ‘Total’ is just as simple as the moneyline; How many points will be scored between both teams? Like the spread, sportsbooks set a total that you wager to go Over or Under. For example, if the total for the Super Bowl game was 51.5, fans wager on if the total of both teams points tally is Over or Under that number. It is really that simple!

Props

Prop bets are probably the most exciting bets to place on the Super Bowl. These can be specific team performance, player stats, or events throughout the game. Player stats however are probably the most popular prop bets amongst bettors. Lets say in this example that the Chiefs have reached the Super Bowl. You can bet on any number of prop bets amongst the team. These are usually in the form of yes/no or over/under. For example, will Patrick Mahomes pass for over or under 289.5 yards? Or will Travis Kelce have over or under 5.5 receptions. What makes this so exciting is that when watching the game, every last play counts and it raises the excitement levels even more. You can even combine numerous prop bets between both teams into one bet, known as a same game parlay. For this bet to be successful, every outcome must win.

Live Betting

Live betting has become extremely popular over the last few years with the improvements in technology in sports betting. You are doing exactly as it sounds: wagering on the game as it is being played. This is popular amongst bettors because you can follow the ebb and flow of the game whilst you are watching and use it to help inform you of what bet you want to place.