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The Super Bowl is the biggest sports betting event of the year – and it isn’t close. Reports totaled well into the billions for this year’s legal betting handle, making clear that the NFL’s crowning game still reigns supreme in the United States.
If you’re looking to get in on the action, you’ve come to the right place. OddsTrader’s comprehensive Super Bowl betting guide runs through everything you need to know to elevate yourself from betting newbie to seasoned pro.
Super Bowl Betting Basics
First, let’s get the inside track on betting basics. These markets are among the most commonly bet year-round, and the same goes for the Super Bowl. Understand these and you’ll be well-equipped to wager on any NFL game.
Spread, Moneyline, and Total
Spreads, moneylines, and totals are as straightforward as they come, making them an ideal starting point.
Spreads can be thought of as the margin of victory. If a team is favored by 3.5, they must win by at least that many points to cover the spread. Conversely, if a team is a 3.5-point underdog, they have to either lose by less than that amount or win outright to cover the spread.
Favorites are always indicated by a negative symbol (-3.5), while underdogs will have a positive symbol (+3.5).
Moneyline simply means winning the game. If you believe a team will win the Super Bowl, bet their moneyline. As long as your team wins the game, you win your bet.
As with spreads, favorites are indicated by a negative symbol (-160), while underdogs have a positive symbol (+135).
Totals are bets on the total number of points scored in the game. If you’re unsure about which team will win, but believe it’ll be an especially high- or low-scoring game, this is the way to go.
For totals, you’ll find one number along with the option to bet either over or under. If the number is set at 48.5 points, the over will win if at least 49 points are scored, while the under will win if there are 48 or less combined points scored.
Parlays
Parlays are unique in the sense that they aren’t their own dedicated market. To build one, you simply need to combine multiple bets in one ticket. The more bets you stack together, the higher your potential payout will be. At the same time, your odds of winning drastically shrink with each added wager.
If you’re building a Super Bowl parlay, it’s best to pair like events. For example, if you like one team to cover the spread, you probably wouldn’t want to parlay that pick with the same team’s quarterback to throw two or more interceptions.
Lots of markets can be combined within a single parlay, but there are some restrictions. In any case, the sportsbook will tell you before placing your bet whether or not your picks can be parlayed.
Super Bowl Player Props
Player props rank among the most popular Super Bowl betting markets and are favored by those with fantasy sports experience. These are bets on individual player performances, measuring wins by yards, touchdowns, receptions, and more.
Passing, Rushing, and Receiving Props
The main categories you’ll find player props split up into are passing, rushing, and receiving props.
Passing props cover each team’s starting quarterbacks and allow you to bet on their passing yards, completions, touchdowns, interceptions, and more. These usually follow an over/under format, so you’ll need to determine if the player has what it takes to beat the projection.
Rushing props are for any ball carriers, including running backs, wide receivers, and quarterbacks. You can bet on rushing attempts and yards. Game script is an important factor to consider when wagering on rushing props.
Receiving props are assigned to wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs. Bet on receptions, receiving yards, or longest reception.
Anytime Touchdown Scorer
Don’t let the weird name fool you – this market allows you to bet on whether or not a player will score a touchdown during the game. “Anytime” simply leaves a little more wiggle room. For example, if a team’s running back also handles kickoffs and returns one for a score, that counts.
If a player is entering an especially favorable matchup, you can also bet on them to score multiple touchdowns. These payouts are much more significant, but there’s also plenty more risk. Even the most gifted scorers only have a couple of multi-touchdown games each season.
It’s worth noting that passing touchdowns don’t count as anytime scores. For instance, if Josh Allen throws a touchdown pass to a receiver, the receiver would earn the anytime touchdown, not the quarterback. If Allen carried the ball into the end zone himself, he’d get the nod.
Defensive Props
Sacks, interceptions, tackles – you name it, it falls under this category. You won’t always find these bets for regular-season games, but they bring out all the stops for the Super Bowl.
Make sure you know your matchups before betting on sacks or forced turnovers. It’s much easier to generate these against some teams rather than others.
Super Bowl Game Props
Game props is an umbrella category that houses just about everything we haven’t already covered. There are some things that you should almost never bet (total points being an odd or even number, for one) and others that provide plenty more value.
Team Totals, First Scorer, and First to X Points
Team totals are a good starting point for game props. This is the projected amount of points a team will score in the Super Bowl – your job is simply to choose whether they’ll go over or under that number.
First scorer props determine which team will get on the board before the other. If you want to take it a step further, you can bet on which player will score the game’s first points under player props.
First to X points (10, 15, 20, etc.) props have nothing to do with which team wins the game and everything to do with which side reaches a certain scoring threshold first. This can be a great bet if one team is especially prone to hot or cold starts.
There are other game props available to bet on as well, including both teams scoring 20+ points, whether or not there will be a safety, if the game will go to overtime, first- or second-half scoring, which team will score first and/or last, and more.
Exotic Super Bowl Props
This is where the fun begins. Unlike other sporting events, you’ll find more unique betting markets available for the Super Bowl. These are often sorted under a tab called “Exotic” or “Novelty” props. Here’s what you can expect to find.
Coin Toss, Gatorade Color, and the National Anthem
Betting on the coin toss is one of the more well-known exotic Super Bowl prop bets. It’s exactly what it sounds like, too. Choose between Heads or Tails – usually priced at an equal -110 odds – and hope you get it right.
Everyone’s favorite electrolyte-infused sports drink makes a grand appearance at the end of the Super Bowl, when the winning coach gets doused in a sticky, sugary shower of Gatorade. You can bet on what color will come rushing out of the cooler, if you so desire.
The national anthem is another anticipated betting market. Sportsbooks will typically set an over/under for the expected duration of the song. If you know the singer to be someone who might hold those high notes, you might consider a bet on the over.
Other Exotic Prop Bets
There’s a long list of exotic prop bets for the Super Bowl. Here are just a few others that stand out from the crowd:
- Will a player or coach cry during the national anthem?
- Halftime show guests
- Super Bowl MVP speech first mention
- First commercial
- Cross-sport props
Finding the Best Super Bowl Betting Odds
With so many great sportsbooks on the market, it can be a challenge to find the best NFL odds every week. The same goes for the Super Bowl, whether you’re betting on the Big Game months in advance or minutes before it gets underway.
OddsTrader is your best option for finding Super Bowl odds year-round. Our tools compile live betting odds from the top legal sportsbooks and sift through the numbers to determine which option provides the most value. Compare lines from a handful of books in one place rather than wasting time going back and forth between your apps.
If the best odds are available at a sportsbook you haven’t registered for, it’s always worth checking to see if there’s a sign-up bonus available for new users. These can be a great way to build your bankroll and collect bonus bets for future use.
Go Deeper with OddsTrader Turbo
Now that you understand the ins and outs of Super Bowl betting and know where to find the best odds, it’s time to place your bets. However, if you still need a little more help, we’ve got you covered.
OddsTrader Turbo is our proprietary sports betting service that features top-rated predictions, in-depth insights, and access to our BetStation Chatbot. Try a 30-day free trial ahead of the Super Bowl to see how it can help you take your sports betting experience to the next level.
