How To Wager On The Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the most wagered-on singular sporting event each year in the US, and the 2021 version will be no exception. This year’s matchup features Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs taking on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kansas City will be looking to become the first back-to-back NFL champions since the Patriots accomplished the feat in 2003-04, and the Buccaneers will be looking to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the first time since the 2002 NFL season.
- How To Bet On The Super Bowl In Florida
- How To Wager On The Super Bowl Wins
- How To Bet On The Super Bowl In Canada
- How To Bet On The Super Bowl Legally
Here is everything you need to know about this year’s game.
When sportsbooks take a large bet, a wager from a respected bettor or a large volume of bets on one team, they will move the line to entice action on the other team. Sportsbooks don’t want too much. Betting The Super Bowl Coin Toss While some scoff at the total lack of skill involved in blindly picking a 50/50 outcome, winning bets provide bettors with an opportunity to walk away with an immediate score or reinvest the winnings in another Super Bowl betting market. You know, more time to pump the money back into the mix. Give me more action.
The odds
Here are live odds for Super Bowl LV, with line comparisons of the top US sportsbooks.
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The Teams
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have dominated like few other teams in modern sports with only one loss (40-32 vs. Raiders in Week 5) since Week 11 of last season. We’re not counting a 2020 season Week 17 loss to the Chargers in which few Chiefs starters played.
- Last postseason, KC averaged 39 PPG and were 14 points shy of the all-time record of 131 points set by the 1994 San Francisco 49ers. This season, the Chiefs finished fifth in PPG (29.4) but were first in total YPG (418.3) and were second in Drive Success Rate as determined by metrics from Football Outsiders.
- The Chiefs failed to cover the spread in eight of their last nine games before pulling away for a 38-24 win over the Bills in the AFC Championship. They were just 1-5 against the spread (ATS) in division games and were 7-5 against non-division foes. The Chiefs were dead even against the Over with a 9-9 record in the regular season and postseason.
- While KC needed some miraculous offense to erase multiple deficits in the playoffs last year, they’ve been in control throughout most of their games this postseason. A defense that’s vastly improved, particularly in the secondary, deserves credit for the Chiefs dominance.
- Kansas City held opposing QBs to the fourth-lowest completion rate (62.3%) and forced an interception on 2.8% of passes. Their secondary held the high-scoring Bills to just 4.9 yards per attempt in the AFC title game and their defensive line is generating a solid 6.5% sack rate over their last three games.
- The Chiefs are vulnerable in rush defense and struggle to stop opponents in the red zone, but have benefited from game flow and forced opposing teams into obvious passing situations, where Tyrann Mathieu and their ball-hawking secondary can thrive.
ALSO READ: 10 Ways to bet on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It didn’t take long for Tom Brady to take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise to the next level. After struggling at times during the first half of the season, Brady hit another gear down the stretch. He comes into his 10th Super Bowl appearance rocking a 110.8 passer rating with a 19:4 TD:INT ratio over his last seven starts.
- Brady is surrounded by talented receivers in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and Scotty Miller. His old running mate Rob Gronkowski has lost a step as a receiver, but is still a force as a blocker, and Cameron Brate is manning the middle of the field.
- Tampa is even stronger on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles led an aggressive unit that allowed the fewest rushing YPG (81.4) at a 3.7 YPC clip. With Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul screaming off the edge, Tampa finished 10th in sack rate (6.8%) this season and got past the Packers by sacking Aaron Rodgers five times in the NFC Championship.
- The Bucs lean on the pass under HC Bruce Arians. They have the third-lowest rush-play percentage (37.5%) and average the second-most passing YPG (287.1) this season. However, Leonard Fournette has injected life into their dormant rush offense and they’re averaging 115 rushing YPG in the playoffs.
- Tampa Bay went 4-1 ATS this season when listed as underdogs. They were 9-2 on the road, but will play the Super Bowl in their home stadium in front of a widely neutral crowd. The Bucs were 3-1 against the AFC West, with their sole loss coming against Kansas City (27-24) in Week 12. They were missing starting CB Jamel Dean in that matchup and will hope that starting safeties Jordan Whitehead (shoulder) and Antoine Winfield Jr. (ankle) are active for the Super Bowl.
ALSO READ: 10 Ways to bet on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV
Super Bowl LV betting breakdown
The Players
Super Bowl LV is all about the quarterbacks. Mahomes, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, and Brady – who has won four Super Bowl MVPs with six championships.
Operators at BetMGM report that there is over three times as much money down on Mahomes to win Super Bowl MVP versus Brady. Mahomes is even money and Brady is getting 2/1 odds at most books.
“Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady are the most popular picks by bettors to win Super Bowl MVP,” said Darren Darby, Sports Trader at BetMGM. “Mahomes is an even money favorite, with nearly half of all BetMGM’s handle on the Chiefs quarterback to win the award.”
The matchup certainly necessitates a big game from Mahomes considering how the Bucs defend the run. While it’s Mahomes pulling the trigger, he’s at the helm of one of the most uniquely dangerous offenses in NFL history. Andy Reid is an offensive genius and instinctive play caller who is 23-5 after a bye week, including playoff games.
Tampa has struggled in pass defense at times and rookie CB Carlton Davis was abused by Tyreek Hill in their Week 12 matchup. Hill erupted for 200-plus yards and 2 TDs in the first quarter alone with Davis left in single coverage against the speedster. Bowles adjusted by sending more help his way in the second half and should have a plan in place to try and prevent another eruption from Hill.
If Tampa shades coverage towards Hill and the Chiefs other speedy receivers, Travis Kelce will likely be free to work in single coverage. Kelce set a record for receiving yards (1,416) in a season by a TE and has 8 or more receptions in eight of his last nine games. Tampa allowed the seventh-most receptions (86) and TDs (9) to TEs during the regular season. Kelce and Hill have relatively low odds (+250) to score multiple TDs at DraftKings Sportsbook. Kelce’s receiving prop is 94.5 yards at DK and Hill’s prop is just 92.5 yards with -124 odds to go Over that number.
- On paper, the Chiefs are more vulnerable against the run – so Leonard Fournette is an intriguing option in Daily Fantasy contests. His rushing prop sits at 48.5 yards at DK and you can even bet on him logging Over or Under 11.5 attempts. Fournette is getting +120 odds at DK to score a TD and +1050 odds to be the first TD scorer of the game.
- The Bucs individual receivers draw some very difficult matchups. Mike Evans lines up opposite Bashaud Breeland, who ranks ninth in coverage rating with the third-lowest catch rate (50.8%) allowed this season. Chris Godwin will see a lot of L’Jarius Sneed, who ranks seventh in coverage rating and has 2 interceptions with only 2 TDs allowed all year.
- The Chiefs primary slot CB, Charvarius Ward, is the weakest link by association, but he’s still 37th overall among CBs and allows just 0.81 yards of separation per target.
- Godwin has been the most targeted receiver for Brady but has only secured 14-of-28 targets this postseason. He has a good chance to top 77.5 receiving yards with the Bucs likely to be in comeback mode. Evans has a receiving prop of 63.5 yards, but he’s more of a low-volume red zone specialist. He’s getting +125 odds at DK to score a TD and +1100 odds to score the first or last TD of Super Bowl LV.
Where to bet
The top sportsbooks for states that allow online gambling include DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook,
PointsBet, BetMGM,FOX Bet and BetRivers.
If you are unsure of whether or not you can bet on the Super Bowl in your state, go to our state-by-state list here.
All of these books offer intriguing promotions and odds boosts for the big game.
- DraftKings recently boosted the odds of Brady to record a rushing or receiving TD from +450 to +525. He’s a master of the QB sneak and could certainly pull one off in the Super Bowl.
- FanDuel offers multi-sport parlay insurance for bettors who take five results in different sports. If four of those outcomes come to fruition, but the fifth doesn’t hit, you get $25 back. For Super Bowl 55, new users get ridiculous 55-1 odds to back the Chiefs or Bucs on the moneyline as their first FanDuel wager.
- New users at PointsBet who place their first wager of $20 on the Chiefs or Bucs on the moneyline or spread and earn $155 in free bets if the team they back scores.
- FOX Bet is running a similar promotion where new users can bet $10 on the Chiefs or Bucs and net $100 in free bets if the team they back scores.
Betting the spread on the Super Bowl
The Chiefs opened as 3.5-point favorites on the point spread, meaning that they would have to win by 4-plus points for that bet to be successful. The Bucs received a lot of early action as 3.5-point underdogs, and the line moved to an even 3 points in some places.
The spread is currently Chiefs .
The point spread usually hovers around a key number, such as 3, because that is the most likely difference in a close game. It’s possible to get off a key number, or “hook,” by buying points at the expense of your odds. For example, if you want the Chiefs at -2.5 but your sportsbook of choice has them at -3.5, you might be able to buy a point and bet them at -2.5 with -140 odds.
Betting the moneyline on the Super Bowl
Betting the moneyline is a simple way to pick a winner. The final score doesn’t matter with the moneyline, just the victor. The Chiefs have been masterful at pulling out close games in recent seasons and are getting odds on the moneyline. While over 75% of bets and handle at DK is on the Chiefs to cover the spread, only 63% of money is on the Chiefs moneyline, since those odds are less appealing.
Betting the total on the Super Bowl
The total for Super Bowl LV opened at 57.5 points, which is tied for the highest total in SB history along with the Rams-Patriots Super Bowl two years ago (New England won, 13-3, in a surprisingly low-scoring result).
How To Bet On The Super Bowl In Florida
Betting Under that total would cash if both teams combine to score fewer than 57 points, with a final score of 27-24 functioning as a win. The Over would hit if both teams combine for 58 or more points, as would occur in a 31-28 game.
Note that the total has moved down to 56.5 points in many spots with the public attacking the Under, following a trend with three of the last five Super Bowls going Under the implied total.
The current over/under for this year’s Super Bowl is .
Betting Super Bowl props
When it comes to the Super Bowl, there are no shortage of proposition bets or “props.”
These bets can be an Over/Under regarding a player’s performance, a Yes/No proposition on that player scoring a TD, or a bet on the Super Bowl MVP. There are also Kickoff Specials, First Play Specials, and props on the number of Coaches Challenges used.
Many books offer a wide range of novelty props that have nothing to do with the competition, such as the length of the National Anthem, or the color of the Gatorade dumped on the victorious coach.
How to watch the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is annually the most-watched TV program in the US. Last year 102.1 million people tuned in to the big game. As for what time does the Super Bowl start and end, kickoff will be at 6:30 p.m. ET and should wrap up just before 10 p.m..
- TV Channel: CBS
- Live stream: CBS All Access
- Announcers: Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Tony Romo (analyst), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter), Evan Washburn (sideline reporter), Jay Feely (sideline reporter)
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Looking for the easiest Super Bowl 55 bets? You’ve come to the right place.
Betting on the Super Bowl is one of the best places to begin betting on football. There are many different types of wagers available, making it a great opportunity to get the lay of the full betting landscape with a single event.
We won’t let you wander into the football betting wilderness alone, of course. We’ve developed this handy Super Bowl betting guide to help you get acquainted with NFL betting odds, generally, and lay some simple wagers on Super Bowl 55.
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs will take on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay on February 7, 2021. Now that the match-up is set, we can use some concrete examples to make things clearer.
But first things first. Let’s start with some classification.
Types of Bets
Every football bet can be classified in one of three categories: moneyline, against the spread, and over/under.
1. Moneyline Betting
Betting on the moneyline is the easiest Super Bowl bet you can make. Quite simply, you bet on which team will win the game “straight up.” You don’t have to worry about margin of victory. If the team you bet on wins, you win your bet!
Current Super Bowl 55 Moneyline Odds
Kansas City Chiefs | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
---|---|
-180 | +152 |
-171 | +145 |
-165 | +145 |
You might be saying to yourself: “That’s very simple. Why doesn’t everyone bet on the moneyline?”
How To Wager On The Super Bowl Wins
Because the payout is lower if you bet on the favorite, and you don’t get the advantage of the spread if you bet on the underdog. Sportsbooks aren’t going to reward you the same way for picking a massive favorite to win. They will, however, reward you handsomely if you correctly pick an underdog.
Let’s use this year’s Super Bowl as an example again.
The Chiefs’ moneyline is -180 at the moment. (Hey, that style of number looks familiar!) That -180 number indicates that, if you bet Kansas City to win, you have to wager $180 to win $100 for a total payout of $280. The Buccaneers’ moneyline, on the other hand, is +152.
The plus-sign changes everything! When preceded by a plus-sign, the moneyline indicates how much you’ll get back if you bet $100.
So, if you wager $100 on Tampa Bay at +152 and they upset the Chiefs (by whatever score), you’ll walk away with $252 — your original $100 bet plus $152. (For all intents and purposes, the favorite is always listed at a negative number and the underdog at a positive number.)
You don’t have to wager $100, of course. You can wager any amount (though sportsbooks do have upper and lower limits). If you cut your bet in half and put $50 on the Bucs +152, you’d go home with $126 if they win — your original $50 bet plus $76 (i.e. half of $152).
2. Against the Spread
Against the spread betting (commonly abbreviated as ATS) is probably the most common type of football betting. In Super Bowl 55, the Chiefs are three point favorites over the Buccaneers. On paper, this is written out as “Chiefs (-3)” or “Buccaneers (+3)”. The three point spread means that, if you bet on the Chiefs (-3), you only win your bet if the Chiefs win by four points or more. If the Chiefs win 25-23, for example, you’re outta luck.
The flip side is that if you bet on the Buccaneers (+3), you’ll still win your bet even if the game is a tie.
If the Chiefs win by exactly three points, it’s called a “push,” and both sides get their money back.
How To Bet On The Super Bowl In Canada
Simple enough, right?
Bettors are often confused to see the spread change a couple of days after they’ve placed a bet. If a lot of money is being wagered on one team compared to the other, sportsbooks will shift the spread to encourage equal betting on both sides and reduce their potential for loss.
This happened just before Super Bowl 53 in 2019. When the betting lines first opened, the LA Rams were a small favorite. But so much money was immediately bet on the New England Patriots that the spread shifted all the way to Patriots (-3).
These changes do not impact any bets that have already been placed.
The payout on spread betting is typically $1 for every $1.10 you wager, but can vary within a range. You’ll often see the payout listed as “-110,” which indicates that you must bet $110 to win $100.
Use the same approach outlined above for moneyline bets to calculate your payout when betting against the spread.
3. Over/Under Betting
Over/under betting (O/U) differs considerably from spread and moneyline betting in that it doesn’t involve picking the winner. The most common over/under bet is the game total, which involves predicting the total number of points that will be scored in the game.
As of January 25, 2021, the total for Super Bowl 55 is 56.5. Bettors can opt that the game will feature more than 56.5 points (taking the over) or fewer than 56.5 points (taking the under).
If you bet the over and the Chiefs win 33-25, you win your bet since the teams combined for 58 points. (That’s more than 56.5.) If the Chiefs win 30-22, you lose everything, since the total score of 52 is less than the total set beforehand by the sportsbooks.
Like with ATS betting, the game total can and will shift over time, depending on which side is receiving the majority of the money wagered. Pushes are also possible when betting the game total. Obviously, a push can only occur when the total is not a half number.
Just like the spread, O/Us have odds specific to each side of the line, meaning the payout isn’t always equal between the over and the under. As long as the action coming in on each side is roughly even, you’re likely to see odds of -110 on the Super Bowl totals line (bet $1.10 to win $1).
Super Bowl Props
The wager types discussed so far focus on the outcome of the game itself. The Super Bowl, however, is just as famous for its litany of prop bets. Some of these Super Bowl props can be downright bizarre, and many have nothing to do with football.
Prop bets feature any interesting propositions the sportsbooks can think of.
Prop bets touch on almost every aspect of the Super Bowl, from which team will win the opening coin toss to which player will score the first touchdown. Many of them focus on the performance of individual players. For example, who will have the most receiving yards? And how many yards will Patrick Mahomes throw for? Will Mahomes have more touchdowns than Brady?
The really fun ones have almost nothing to do with the game. Here are a few favorites from this year’s props:
- Will Bill Belichick be mentioned at least once?
- Will Blinding Lights be the first song played by The Weeknd at halftime?
- Will Tom Brady’s wife, Gisele Bundchen, be shown on TV more than 1.5 times?
- The color of the Gatorade poured on the winning head coach (orange is the favorite). Historical reference here.
Props can be constructed as moneyline or over under-style bets. Let’s look at a couple of examples to clarify.
“Who will score the first touchdown?” is a moneyline-style prop bet. Travis Kelce is currently the favorite at +600. (Remember what that plus-sign means? If you bet $100 on Kelce and he does score the first TD in the game, you’ll win $600.)
“How many songs will be played during the halftime show?” is an over/under style prop. The O/U is at 8. If seven songs are performed in total, the under will cash in. If nine lovely tunes are sung, the over wins. For a full guide on Super Bowl prop bets, be sure to check out this comprehensive guide.
Where Can I Bet on the Super Bowl?
Go look at your finances and see if you have some disposable income. If things are looking good, it’s time to explore this list for the best places to bet on NFL games online , and get in on the action!