Super Bowl point spreads: Seahawks, Broncos, and Gatorade
When it comes to Super Bowl action, you may think that it all happens out on the field. Twenty-two men on the gridiron at any given time slogging it out, sometimes in freezing conditions, for the ultimate prize: the elusive Vince Lombardi Trophy.
But stakes are not only high for the players, coaches, and the National Football League. Las Vegas stands to profit largely from the Super Bowl as well. In fact, the Super Bowl is the biggest one-day betting event in Nevada and this year will not be different.
R.J. Bell, sports betting expert and founder of Pregame.com, says when it comes to the big game we can expect to see a record number of wagers.
“Last year actually was a record in Nevada. $99 million dollars was bet. This year, consensus opinion is that record is going to be broken. $100 million-plus is the expectation,” Bell says.
According to Bell, Nevada’s bets only make up a sliver of all wagers on the Super Bowl.
“Only one percent is legal and regulated here in Nevada. $10 billion will be bet on this game worldwide.”
You could look to social psychology to examine why the Super Bowl brings out the inner gambler in so many.
“It’s social, it’s an office pool, it is a party where there’s squares…,” Bell says. “In fact, for a lot of people, if you’re not involved with a little something on the game, you feel left out.”
But gambling over what happens on the field is only part of it. For those of us who either don’t know about or don’t care about football, there is still action to be had. This is where proposition bets come in.
Will any member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers be shirtless during their performance?
Chances are… of course one or all of the Chili Peppers will be team skins. The oddsmakers agree.
Have an inkling about the color of the Gatorade that will be poured on the winning coach? Yep, you can bet on that too.
Bell says that these prop bets allow “the casual fan, who is maybe only watching this one game” to get involved.
So whether you’re rooting for the Seahawks or the Broncos, or red or blue Gatorade, odds are there will be winners and there will be losers.
Stories You Might Like
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
