by Navigating through Super Bowl lines can be overwhelming. Due to the high interest in the game and the increasing availability of legalized sports betting in the United States, betting on the biggest game of the NFL calendar has become big business. While there was always a heavy contingent of gambling going on behind the scenes in the game, legalized gambling has ramped up the interest.
For novice bettors overwhelmed by the onslaught of information, there can be a lot of details to try and parse through. Trying to cut through the noise and gather information on all the players, teams, and numbers available can take some time and effort. Here’s a look at some things to remember when betting on the Super Bowl.
Look for Promotions
When you are a first-time bettor and if you are new to a sportsbook, many casinos usually offer incentives to sign up. There can be anything from deposit matches to free bets for signing up and making their first deposit. Frequent bettors will accrue awards and sometimes will be offered special offers when they search for a certain level of gambling.
For the Super Bowl especially, sportsbooks are creative in trying to lure gamblers to their sportsbooks. Many casinos and books will offer enhanced Super Bowl odds on special bets they come up with. People need to make sure they shop these numbers to make sure they really are good deals.
If a special involved the same game parlay, gamblers should go and make that exact bet on several different books to make sure the number being offered is really that good of a deal.
Weird Stuff Happens in the Super Bowl
The NFL has one of the only league championships that all comes down to one game played in a neutral site. What this means is that over the years, there have been a number of players who have come out of relative obscurity to win MVP. When making prop bets on MVP, keep in mind that things can happen, and sometimes long shots can pay out.
While it is usual to bet on Super Bowl quarterbacks or running backs to win the award, there have been several defensive players that have stood out from the crown to bring home MVP honors. Part of what makes the Super Bowl fun is that, in some years, players like Larry Brown, Dexter Jackson, and Malcolm Smith can cement their status in league history with one great game.
We’re Doing it Live
If a bettor doesn’t feel comfortable making a pregame wager because of how tight the game appears to be, many sportsbooks offer a large swath of live bets on the game. Even with MVP, the odds will change online as the game happens. It is possible a player could start low, like a quarterback throwing an early interception, and the numbers could move higher.
Taking this approach can lead to getting better numbers than what was offered pregame. There are also a number of different bets that can be done live. The traditional moneyline, spread, and over/unders are offered, but bettors can also wager on live totals for player yardage, spreads for the quarter and halftime, and other options as the game go along. Paying attention and being quick on the trigger could lead to lucrative nights for betters.
Prop Bets are Fun
William “The Refrigerator” Perry, a gigantic Chicago Bears lineman, became the poster boy for this type of bet in Super Bowl XX. During the Bears’ 46-10 win over the New England Patriots, one sportsbook offered Perry even money to score a touchdown. The sportsbook got crushed with bets and eventually had to move the line because of how popular it was.
Chicago paid off the bet by allowing Perry to carry the ball to the goal line and score during the Bears’ destruction of New England. While the book lost money that night, they would ultimately make much more money in the long run. Props are routinely offered on regular season games as well as the Super Bowl.
These bets are popular because they don’t require the game to end with any certain outcome for a bettor to win. For people not as diehard about who wins the game itself, these are solid options to have some skin in the game.
