Sports betting has now become legal in two-thirds of the United States, giving more Americans than ever before the chance to place a bet on the Super Bowl. With numerous sports betting advertisements flooding the media, it can be confusing for those who are new to sports betting or who don’t fully understand the process. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide to betting on the big game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, focusing only on legal options that are approved and regulated by government authorities in the U.S.
One of the most popular types of bets is the point spread, which is the number of points that a team must win the game by for the bet to be a winner. Another popular bet is the total, also known as the over/under, which refers to the total number of points scored by both teams. Unlike popular belief, the point spread is not the odds maker’s prediction of how many points a team will win by, but instead, it is a number designed to generate equal bets on both teams. This way, the oddsmakers are guaranteed a profit through the vigorish, which is the cut of the action, typically 10% or more of a winning bet. The spread can change up until the start of the game and even during live betting, but it will lock in once the bet has been made.
Beating the spread is known as covering. For the Eagles to cover their spread of 1.5 points, they must win the game by 2 or more points, while the underdog, the Kansas City Chiefs, can cover by either winning the game or losing by less than 2 points. If the winning margin ties the spread, which is a whole number, such as 2 points, then the bet is known as a push, and the bettor will receive their original bet back, but will not win anything.
If you prefer to pick the winner rather than bother with points, you can place a money line bet. A money line bet on the Eagles to win the game will require a bet of $122 to win $100, while a bet on the Kansas City Chiefs will result in a payout of $104 on a $100 bet. If you believe the game will be high scoring, you can make a bet on the total, which is currently set at 50.5 points.
You can also make your own odds, but it can be costly. You can pick your own spread or total to improve your chances of winning, but the farther your pick deviates from the sportsbook’s number, the less it will pay if you win. This can also be a riskier strategy, as the greater the deviation, the higher the potential payout.
If you prefer a simpler way to bet on the game, there are several options available. A popular option is betting on the coin flip at the start of the game, which will determine which team will get the ball first. You can also bet on the color of Gatorade that will be poured on the winning coach at the end of the game. These types of bets are known as proposition or prop bets, and involve betting on whether a particular event will or will not occur during the game.
Another option is betting on the player who will score the first touchdown of the game. You can also place a bet on the total number of yards that a specific player will have, or the number of receptions that a player will make. There are many other prop bets available, such as betting on the number of field goals that will be scored, the number of interceptions, and the number of sacks.
In conclusion, sports betting has become more accessible to Americans, with many legal options available for betting on the Super Bowl.
