How to bet on the super Bowl LVI

On February 13, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, Super Bowl LVI will crown the champions of the 2021/22 NFL season.

As one of the biggest annual games in sports, the Super Bowl sees a huge flurry of bets from players around the world aiming to make some money and to add the tension and drama of the on-field action. You can find a helpful guide on how to bet here: https://edge.twinspires.com/nfl/how-to-bet-on-the-super-bowl/

If you are planning to bet on the Super Bowl this year, this guide will explain the main markets to focus on and show you where and how you can win some money.

Moneyline

The most straightforward way to bet on the Super Bowl is on the moneyline. This is simply betting on one of the teams to win the game.

If the game is between two evenly matched teams whereby the bookmakers can’t pick a favourite or underdog, the two teams’ odds will be quite similar. This would typically present itself as Team A (-110) v Team B (-110), so if you wagered $100 on Team A and they win, you would get a return of $191 ($91 winnings + $100 initial stake).

However, if Team A is the underdog and the bookmakers price them at, say, +140, the same $100 wager would return $240 ($140 winnings + $100 initial stake).

Moneyline may be the easiest method of betting on the Super Bowl, but the drawback is that to make good money, it relies on backing the underdog or placing a large wager on the favourite.

Points Spread

Points spreads are offered by bookmakers to level the playing field in a game between unevenly matched teams. If the Super Bowl is contested by a team which is the big favourite on the moneyline, the points spread allows bettors to lengthen those odds by wagering on how many points they will win by, or how many points the underdog doesn’t lose by.

The standard point spreads are typically priced at -110, so if Team A is the favourite, bookmakers will decide on what they believe is a realistic winning margin. The point spread will depend on how big a favourite Team A is: oddsmakers could see them as a one touchdown favourite and would therefore offer a standard points spread at -7. That would make Team B’s points spread +7. If Team A wins by more than 7 points, they have beaten the points spread; conversely, if Team B loses by less than 7 points – or wins the game – they have beaten the points spread.

To make the odds longer, many bookmakers will offer additional points spread. For instance, if you think Team A will win by more than 7 seven points, you could bet on them at a -10, -15, or any other larger scoreline on the points spread. This will lengthen the odds and could lead to bigger wins.

Totals

Whereas moneyline and points spreads demand you wager on Team A or Team B, totals take the eventual winner out of the equation.

With totals, you are wagering on how many total points will be scored during the Super Bowl by both teams combined. This presents itself as Over/Under, meaning the combined points total will either be more than one what the bookmaker is offering, or less.

For example, Team A v Team B at the Super Bowl – Total 42.5 at odds of -110. If you believe there will be more than 42.5 points in the game, you will bet on the over, less than 42.5 points then bet on the under.

Like point spreads, bookmakers will offer a variety of totals, with those they believe less likely offering longer odds. If they predict a high-scoring game, a total of 27.5 points will provide much more generous odds.

Other Super Bowl Betting Markets

The three mentioned above are by far the most common and popular markets but there are others to know about ahead of the Super Bowl.

Prop bets: This is when you bet on a particular scenario to take place during the game and doesn’t depend on the overall outcome.

These include bets like total passing yards for a quarterback (over/under), first touchdown scorer, and running back rushing yards (over/under). It could even include betting on the coin toss (not advised!). Prop bets can be made before or during a game.

Parlays: Also known as accumulators, this is when you bundle a few individual bets together on the same ticket and need each bet to land to win. For the Super Bowl, this could be Team A to win on the points spread + Team A’s quarterback to pass for 295.5 yards + Team A to have 2.5 sacks.

You need all three bets to come through to win. This is a great way to lengthen the odds on a Super Bowl bet, but with so many variables, they can be difficult to win.