Super Bowl Betting Tips

Super Bowl Sunday is one of the most anticipated days on the calendar every year for sports fans, wing lovers, and amateur party planners. It’s also one of the biggest days on the sports betting calendar for bettors and sportsbooks.

Every year, Super Bowl betting draws billions of dollars of bets at legal and offshore sportsbooks. Last year, over $150 million was wagered on Super Bowl LIV at legal sportsbooks as the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-20. With more states introducing legal sports betting in the year since, that number is likely to go up.

Super Bowl betting is not just for the diehard sports betting enthusiast. Many casual sports fans or Super Bowl viewers want to get in on the action. With so many types of Super Bowl bets to choose from and sportsbooks to evaluate, there can be a lot to consider for new or casual bettors, here is a helpful breakdown of the types of Super Bowl bets and how to make them.

Super Bowl Betting: Types of Super Bowl Bets

When it comes to Super Bowl betting, many people may be interested in betting only on the outcome of the game. However, there are many different types of Super Bowl bets available these days. So even the most casual of Super Bowl viewer can make money in a variety of ways on the game.

Super Bowl Spread Betting

What is a spread bet?

A spread bet is a bet placed on either side in a particular game to achieve an outcome by a certain margin.

On one side, there is a favorite, which is indicated by the minus (-) sign. The favorite must win by a certain margin in order for the wager to be a winner. On the other side, there is an underdog, which is indicated by the plus (+) sign. The underdog must achieve a result that is inside the specific margin for the wager to be a winner.

How do you place a Super Bowl spread bet?

The spread odds for Super Bowl 55 are as follows:

  • Kansas City Chiefs (favorite) -3 (-120)
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (underdog) +3 (-102)

If you think the Chiefs will achieve a result that is superior to a three-point win, then your wager will be on the Chiefs -3. However, if you think the Buccaneers will achieve a result that is superior to a three-point loss, then your wager will be on the Buccaneers +3.

So, let’s look at these potential outcomes:

If the Chiefs win 31-27: Those who bet on the Chiefs -3 would win their bets, and those who bet on the Buccaneers +3 would lose their bets.

If the Chiefs win 31-30: Despite the Chiefs winning the game, those who bet on the Chiefs -3 would lose their bets. Those who bet on the Buccaneers +3 would win their bets, because the Buccaneers will have covered the +3 by losing by only one point.

If the Chiefs win 31-28: A win by exactly three points would result in what is called a “push” on both sides, with neither outcome winning nor losing. As a result, those who bet on either the Chiefs -3 or Buccaneers +3 would have their wagered funds returned.

The parenthesized numbers indicated the odds of your particular bet. For example, if you bet $100 on the Chiefs -3, a winning bet would net winnings of $83.33, leaving you with a total of $183.33. Meanwhile, if you bet $100 on the Buccaneers +3, a winning bet would net winnings of $98.04, leaving you with a total of $198.04.

Super Bowl Total Betting

What is a total bet?

A total bet is a bet on how many points will be scored in a game. For total bets, there are two sides: the OVER and the UNDER. To bet the over is to bet on the game total exceeding the specified total. To bet the under is to bet on the game total falling under the specified total.

How do you place a Super Bowl total bet?

The total odds on Super Bowl 55 are as follows:

  • OVER 56.5 (-110)
  • UNDER 56.5 (-110)

If the final score of the game is 30-27: Those who bet on the OVER 56.5 would win their bets, and those who bet on the UNDER 56.5 would lose their bets.

If the final score of the game is 33-23: Those who bet on the UNDER 56.5 would win their bets, and those who bet on the OVER 56.5 would lose their bets.

In this outcome, there is no possibility of a push. However, a push would come into play if the line shifted to either 57 or 56.

If the total moved up to 57, and the final score was 30-27, that would result in a push on both sides because the outcome was equal to the specified total. If the total moved down to 56, and the final score was 33-23, that would result in a push on both sides.

Super Bowl Moneyline Betting

What is a moneyline bet?

A moneyline bet is a bet on either side to win “straight up”. Moneyline bets are good for when you are confident in a favorite but not confident enough to be on their spread, or if you are confident that an underdog will not only cover their spread but win straight up.

How do you place a Super Bowl moneyline bet?

The moneyline odds on Super Bowl 55 are as follows:

  • Kansas City Chiefs -166
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers +140

If you think that the Chiefs will win, then your bet will be on the Chiefs -166. If you think that the Buccaneers will win, then your bet will be on the Buccaneers +140.

There is no possibility of a push in this situation, as the bet is dependent on the direct outcome regardless of whether or not the game finishes in regulation or goes to overtime. Overtime rules apply in betting on other sports, but they do not apply in American football.

Super Bowl Prop Betting

What is a prop bet?

Propositions, or props, are bets that pertain to other parts of the game besides the spread, total, or moneyline. Props can be about the outcome of a particular moment in the game, like the coin toss, or they can be about individual or team statistical markers being achieved.

How do you place a Super Bowl prop bet?

There are many prop bets available for Super Bowl 55. Here are a couple of them.

Who Will Have the Most Passing Yards in Super Bowl 55?

  • Patrick Mahomes -155
  • Tom Brady +120

In this instance, Patrick Mahomes is favored to have more passing yards than Tom Brady. If you agree with those odds and think that Mahomes will have more passing yards than Brady, then you take Mahomes -155. If you think that Brady will have more passing yards than Mahomes, then you take Brady +120.

Here is another available Super Bowl 55 prop:

Will There Be a 2-Point Conversion Attempt?

  • Yes -135
  • No +105

In this situation, “Yes” is the favored outcome. If a two-point conversion does get attempted at any point, then “Yes” would be a winner. If not, then “No” will be the winner.

Super Bowl Live Betting

What is live betting?

Live betting is available at most sportsbooks these days. It enables you to bet during the game as you follow along with the action.

You can bet in-game on the spread, total, and moneyline, and you can also bet on props like the outcome of the current or next drive, depending on what is available at the sportsbook you choose.