How to Bet on Super Bowl LII
By Loot, NFL Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
The Super Bowl is the granddaddy of all sports betting events. For single-day action, the sports betting world is turned upside-down on Super Bowl Sunday. It's the biggest game in American sports and the betting follows suit. The action is hot and heavy for the Super Bowl. A general rule of thumb is that if you're able to conceive of it, the wager is available. You can bet on everything from who is going to win the game to how many times the camera shows a certain celebrity or what color the halftime-performer's outfit will be.
There are a lot of people who would like to bet on the Super Bowl who aren't really well-versed in the world of betting. Some of us degenerates can only vaguely remember a time when we didn't know how to decipher sports betting. But there are people out there who might get lost looking at all the available bets. And for the Super Bowl, the variety of different bets might even be mind-boggling for the seasoned bettor.
Someone not accustomed to betting probably has a lot of questions. Let's try to answer some of them here.
Super Bowl Betting FAQs
Q: How do I bet?
A: You need a bookie. These come in many forms. The sportsbooks in Las Vegas are an option, but not everyone is in Vegas when this game occurs. Some people have a local bookie they place bets with, but unless you're living in Staten Island in 1977, chances are you don't have a "guy." The most-viable outlet is online sportsbooks. And we know this might be a mental leap for some. But there are long-standing books with reputations above reproach who would never do you wrong. We're happy to say all the books endorsed by Lootmeister are thoroughly vetted over a long period of time and can be trusted utterly and completely. Sports betting is big business and these companies aren't going to jeopardize their standing by messing you around. But be careful, the online sports betting world is like the wild west in some sectors. Don't be lured by big bonuses that are unrealistic. Stick to the heavyweights of the industry—books like the ones that are in our good graces.
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Q: What kinds of bets can I make on the Super Bowl?
A: Again, the available bets for the Super Bowl is mind-numbing. It's not just a normal game in terms of betting. The amount of available bets increases to an almost-absurd level. You can win or lose money before the game even begins, with there being a bet on how long the National Anthem will last. You can bet on any aspect of the game, from a team perspective or even on individual player performances. And if you can think of it, there's a bet on it. Then there are all these other available wagers where football isn't even involved—how many times the camera will show someone or what a coach will wear. Needless to say, the Super Bowl betting landscape is simply massive.
Q: How much do I have to bet?
A: Online betting caters to the smallest of players. The limits will depend on which book you use, but a lot of books will let you bet as little as a buck, even less at some shops. Some might have the idea that you have to put a lot of money at risk to bet on football online, but it caters to the thriftiest of players.
Q: What if I don't understand odds?
A: If you don't understand the odds, just know that it's far from rocket science. In fact, the next time you go to a sportsbook, take a look around at who's there. All those people were able to grasp it, which means you surely will be able to. Even guys who understand very little about anything can fathom how the odds work. There are basically two different expressions you will need to learn. We'll break both of them down for you now.
The Point Spread: The most popular form of football betting is called straight betting, which employs the use of a point spread. A point spread is a number of points given to both teams. One team is favored by that amount of points, while one team is an underdog by that same amount. Let's look at the Super Bowl 52 point spread as an example:
Philadelphia Eagles +5.5 vs. New England Patriots -5.5
We see here that the opening Super Bowl LII point spread is 5.5 points. You see that number next to both teams, with the Eagles being +5.5, while the Patriots are -5.5. In other words, Philadelphia is a 5.5-point underdog, with the Patriots being 5.5-point favorites. What does that mean? Look at it this way, a plus-sign always indicates an underdog and a minus-sign means a favorite. For a bet on Philadelphia at +5.5 to win, they can either win the game outright or lose by 5.5 or fewer points. So if the score is 22-17 Patriots, a bet on the Eagles at +5.5 would win. At -5.5, the Patriots have to win the game and do so by an amount that surpasses 5.5 points. So a bet on them would lose at 22-17, but if the score were 23-17, they would win, as the margin of 6 points covers the -5.5 point spread.
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The Money Line: Now that we explained point spreads, let's talk about how odds are expressed. Everyone knows the basic fractional expression, like if something is a 4-to-1 favorite, for example. That's easy enough to fathom. The money line is simply a more-precise way to express exactly the same thing. Taking what we now know about point spreads, a plus-sign indicates an underdog, while a minus-sign indicates a favorite. Let's look at the early money line for Super Bowl LII as an example.
Philadelphia Eagles +170 vs. New England Patriots -200
In the above example, we see a money line expression. There is no point spread involved. The money line is a bottom-line scenario based simply on winning or losing. Remember, a plus indicates an underdog, with the Eagles a +170 proposition. And as underdogs, the potential rewards are greater. +170 means you win $170 for every $100 you bet. And of course, you could bet any amount. A $10 money line bet on the Eagles at +170 would net you $17 in winnings. And of course, you'd get your bet back. The odds just refer to the winnings. The Patriots are favorites, so betting them just to win the game is less-fruitful of a bet. At -200, you have to bet $200 for every $100 you want to win. A $20 bet, for example, would yield $10 in winnings in the Patriots win the game. Here's a handy little guide. If you lock this in, you'll basically know money lines as well as anyone.
Plus-Sign: Indicates an underdog and the number you see next to the plus-sign is how much you win for every $100 you bet. And if you don't bet $100, the odds just break down proportionally.
Minus Sign: A minus-sign indicates a favorite. The number you see next to the minus-sign is how much you have to bet in order to win $100. And naturally, you can wager any amount and the odds would just break down proportionally.
Good luck and let's finish the year strong!
