The Super Bowl is the biggest event in betting every year. It is typically held on the second Sunday in February.
When looking to bet on the Super Bowl at a sportsbook, the number of bets on the board can be overwhelming. Here we will break down all the different bets you can find during the Super Bowl.
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Bets offered for the Super Bowl
There are more types of bets available on the Super Bowl than in any other event. Bettors may choose from point spreads, moneylines, totals, and the largest prop betting menu of the year.
Game lines
The most basic bet to make on the Super Bowl is the game lines. These include the money line bet, over/ under, and spread. For example Super Bowl LVII has Philadelphia listed at around -1.5 against the spread, -125 against the money line, and the total set at 49 ½ points.
The spread for a game is a way to balance out the two teams. A spread is added to the underdog’s score at the end of each game and if those points would give them the win, they cover the point spread. The money line is set up for straight bets on who will win outright. The over/ under is set up for the total amount of points scored in the game.
Player props
There are player props offered at the Super Bowl. These bets are based on every player’s individual stats in the game. You can find passing props based on the quarterbacks passing yards, touchdowns, interceptions, longest pass thrown, and more.
There are also receiving and rushing props as well. You can bet on how many receptions players have, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and longest reception. You can bet on the amount of rushing attempts, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and longest run that one or both Super Bowl teams will have.
Defensive/ kicking props are also offered during the Super Bowl. There are bets on the number of sacks, interceptions, and tackles a player will have during the game. You will also find bets around how many total points a kicker will finish within the game.
There are props on the first touchdown scorer, last touchdown scorer as well as anytime touchdown scorers. You can bet on whether a player will have two or three touchdowns as well. Watching these lines for players who score often is a good strategy to win some money or put into a same-game parlay.
Game props
There are props based on the game itself. These props include the quarter-by-quarter winner, the winner of each half, the first team to a certain amount of points, alternate spreads/ totals, and scoring props.
The individual quarter and half props are based on who will win just the quarter or half. Finding what teams have hotter starts or strong finishes, you can watch the trends to find a good bet in these props. There is also a bet on whether or not the game will go to overtime.
There is also a bet for the race to a certain amount of points. These are usually in increments of five. Other scoring props are based around the exact score, the team to score first, the team to score last, the exact points scored by a team, the winning margin, and the highest and lowest scoring quarter.
There are also alternate spreads and totals to increase the odds in a game. The odds are based on how big the spread or total is in comparison to the line it is set at. Moving a line closer to an important number can increase the odds, but keep the risk lower.
Live betting
There is live betting available during the Super Bowl. You can bet on updated spreads, money lines, and totals. You can also bet on the next drive result and if it ends in a touchdown, field goal, punt, or other. There are also bets on the next touchdown scorer, the next team to score, or if a team will not score again.
Same game parlay
One of the growing bets in sports betting is the Same Game Parlay. SGPs are based on multiple bets being placed on a single game. You can use simple game lines, player props, game props, quarter-by-quarter spreads/ totals, and team totals. Like a regular parlay though, every part of the SGP must be right for the bet to hit.
Cross sports bets
There will be bets based on both the Super Bowl and a game from a different sport. These bets can be based on a lot of things. An example of this would be whether an NBA player would have more points+rebounds+assists than the total amount of points scored in the Super Bowl.
Exotic Super Bowl bets
There are some exotic bets like what color the drink will be that is poured on the starting quarterback, the length of the National Anthem, bets on the Puppy Bowl, and more. These bets cannot be placed on an officially licensed sportsbook in the US though. These require the use of an offshore sportsbook.
These bets can be something fun placed with friends though. There are some crazy bets on what the anthem singer/ halftime performer will be wearing, who the Super Bowl MVP will thank first, the outcome of the coin toss, who will pour the drink on the coach, and more.
Super Bowl squares
Some regulated sportsbooks offer square pools like you might find in a bar. In these, the bettor makes a pick of how a score’s second number might be after a quarter or for the entire game. These squares are not picked randomly like they would in bar pools. The odds reflect the likelihood of it happening.
Tips for winning money on the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is sometimes the only event people bet in a year. Those players do not have any futures bets pending. They would like to win money on the big game or at least lose as little as possible. While the odds are not in the player’s favor when betting on the Super Bowl, there are some ways to increase your chances of winning.
Starting out
If you have not signed up for a sportsbook going into the Super Bowl, it is important to check around for different welcome offers. Normally big-name sportsbooks like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars all have large sign-up bonuses offered for the Super Bowl.
The welcome bonuses can vary from first deposit matches to loss rebates. If you take advantage of these offers, it gives you a better chance to win money on the big game. While you might lose your bet on the Super Bowl, if you picked up a loss rebate first bet, you have a chance to win it back.
Watch out for promotions
There are usually a lot of promotions put out during the Super Bowl. These commonly include a bet credits bet or odds boost on a same-game parlay. Using these promotions, you can gain a slight edge.
When building a same-game parlay, it is best to avoid the big underdog bets. For example, there is a big line if you bet on the game to go to overtime, but only one Super Bowl has ever gone to overtime. Betting on props that are more likely to hit, gives the same game parlay a better chance of winning.
Follow the Trends
Looking for trends in previous Super Bowls and in the teams that are competing is a good way to win your Super Bowl bet. One of the biggest trends is that defenses win Championships. If an offensive team matches up against a defensive team, betting on the defensive team is the winning trend. However, the odds of this may already be in the price. Think of the price as the likelihood of the potential outcome. If you think it is wrong, bet accordingly.
The most important part of betting on the Super Bowl is doing it responsibly. Here is more information on how to do that.
Last Updated on August 5, 2023 by Kristina Mehaffey