In addition to being the most-watched game of the calendar year, the Super Bowl is also the most heavily bet on. From sharp bettors to casual players who only bet once in a while, we all line up to place some bets (some $6.8B worth, in fact) on the Big Game each year.
All of the prop bets can seem a bit overwhelming at first glance, as can simply betting on the Super Bowl game itself. Beyond trying to choose the potential winner of the game, there are all kinds of options on the Super Bowl betting menu.
How can you legally place bets online? Where are the best places to wager? What are the best types of bets to consider? For answers to those questions and everything else you need to know about Super Bowl betting, scroll down. This betting guide covers the ins and outs of how to bet online (including from NYC) as well as the best Super Bowl betting sites.
Where to legally bet on Super Bowl 55 in the US
2021 Super Bowl Odds
Futures odds for Super Bowl 55 have been out for awhile and stay posted throughout the regular season and playoffs. As expected, last year’s champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, were the early favorites to win again alongside the Baltimore Ravens. The San Francisco 49ers, the Tom-Brady led Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints also drew lots of early action.
As the season played out the Chiefs held firm at the top but the Ravens have slipped some. The Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks all bolstered their prospects and moved up the futures board. The Steelers have dipped the other way as their unbeaten season unraveled. Both the Seahawks and Steelers are now on the sidelines.
Here’s how Super Bowl 55 futures odds look in real-time at US online sportsbooks. Use the drop-down menus to toggle between legal US betting states and to see more NFL futures odds markets (Conference Champions, MVP, etc.). Click on any listed odds to claim your free bets, register an account and lock in your Super Bowl bet in before the odds change again.
How to bet on the Super Bowl online
If you’re looking to place your Super Bowl bets online, you won’t have a lack of options. A number of operators provide services in many legal gambling states.
Check out the list above for some of the best sportsbook apps to use in already legalized states.
After you’ve registered an account at an online sportsbook, you’ll find Super Bowl 55 markets under the NFL tab and be able to flip through all of the betting options available.
And there are a lot of betting options. Standard bets such as spreads, moneylines and totals will all be right there for you to see alongside an expanded menu for Super Bowl Sunday.
Best Super Bowl Bets
There are a number of different ways to attack Super Bowl betting. You could zero in on a single bet that you feel strongly about, but there’s also a lot to be said for spreading out the risk. Here are a few general examples of your best superbowl bets and how you can allocate your bankroll.
Winner/Spread/Totals: You can keep it simple and go for the outright winner on the moneyline, or kick it up a notch and factor in the point spread. If the score is more of your thing, then you can focus on an Over/Under bet on the total points.
Player/Team Prop Bets: Sportsbooks go all out with Super Bowl prop bets. You’ll literally have hundreds of Super Bowl props to consider from the coin flip to the winner of the MVP award. There are scores of options to sort through and worth looking at multiple sportsbooks for favorites.
Super Bowl Futures: Looking ahead in advance of the Big Game is always fun, and you can make yourself a nice score if you make the right call with a futures bet. Favorites will pay out a decent return, but if you have a good feel for a longshot, go for it.
Live betting: Once the game gets underway, you can bet along in real time with updated odds and completely new betting opportunities. This is a great way to take the excitement of the Super Bowl to a whole new level. To get the most out of live betting we recommend downloading a sportsbook app to have at-your-fingertips access to the best odds as they get posted.
Same-game parlay: It may be the only football game going on, but you can still take your shot with some parlays. For example, you can combine the game winner with the player to score the first TD in the contest.
If you spread out the risk, you have more chances to win and stay engaged as the game plays out. For example, you could spread out a $100 bankroll like this: $35 each on outcome and props, leaving $10 each for futures, live betting, and parlays.
See more detail on each of your possible best Super Bowl bets below. Check our Best Way to Bet $100 on the Super Bowl suggestions from last year for an example; we’ll have an updated version of Best Bets for Super Bowl 55 ready as soon as the teams are announced:
As the Super Bowl approaches a good amount of betting action centers on which players are in line for the game’s biggest honor. The player with the greatest impact on the game receives the Super Bowl MVP award so unsurprisingly quarterbacks have dominated the award in recent years and all-time.
Over the last 11 Super Bowls, a QB has won MVP eight times (including Patrick Mahomes in 2020).
In the history of the Super Bowl, QBs have won MVP 30 times (out of 54)
The odds for Super Bowl MVP generally reflect this. But it’s important to remember that it’s far from a sure thing. In 2019, wide receiver JulianEdelman won the award while a defensive player has been the choice in two of the last 10 years.
Super Bowl 2021: Time, Date and Where To Watch (TV & Live Stream)
The broadcast rights for the 2021 Super Bowl belong to CBS. For viewers on cable, that means the game will be on your local CBS affiliate. Viewers who have cut the cord will find that CBS is available through various streaming platforms as well.
Gameday: Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021
Game time: Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT
Stadium: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fl.
Network: CBS
Network streaming: CBS.com, CBSsports.com, and CBS Sports app via phone, tablet, and connected TV devices (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Chromecast)
Streaming services (varies by market): DirecTV Now, Fubo TV, Hulu with Live TV, PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV
2021 Super Bowl DFS Contests
While DraftKings and FanDuel are both now sportsbook powerhouses with hundreds of Super Bowl betting options, don’t forget they made their bones first as elite daily fantasy sports providers. Nothing has changed there, either – especially when it comes to the Super Bowl.
Both DraftKings and FanDuel offered multi-million guaranteed DFS contests in 2020 with $1m prizes for the winner. Jump in and play either through our links and you’ll also collect our exclusive bonuses:
Expect the sportsbook heavyweights to again roll out some enticing free Super Bowl contests to bring new players in. Here’s a look at a couple of the best from last year:
DraftKings $54,000 Super Bowl Squares
Free to play
Prize pool of $54,000
Game only on the DraftKings app
Available in every state including non-legalized markets
Go to the “Free Games” tab before kickoff and claim your free Bingo card
Every card has 24 game/pop culture props on it plus a free square
Watch the game and follow along (your card is tracked automatically)
Hit “Bingo” with 5 squares in any direction and you win a share of $25k
Everyone who plays gets 1,000 FanDuel Points for future use
2021 Super Bowl betting tips
As with betting on all NFL games, standard handicappingrules apply when wagering on the Super Bowl. There are experienced bettors with detailed systems that they follow to the letter, as well as casual folks who rely on things such as gut feel.
There’s no right or wrong approach, as it all comes down to your comfort level. However, long-term success in any endeavor requires putting some effort into honing your skills, so it’s important to keep that in mind.
There’s no magic system for Super Bowl betting success. To drive that point home, check out the stats on favorites and totals through the 2020 Super Bowl:
Favorites are 27-25-2 against the spread in the history of the Super Bowl.
Overs are 26-26-1 all-time (No total bets for Super Bowl I).
While the data above suggests flipping a coin and calling it a day will even out over several years of Super Bowls, that doesn’t mean you can’t put in some effort toward finding an edge.
Some teams are poor matchups for the other in a number of facets, while recent play and quality of postseason wins can be huge clues toward finding which team has a leg up on the other.
You won’t find any shortage of opinions on which side will win or cover, as well as the total points and various prop betting scenarios. If you’re not the type who likes to research, then find a few trusted sources to lean on and tune out the rest of the noise.
Super Bowl 55 Bets
The odds to win the Super Bowl continually evolve over the season and playoffs. Teams who surprise with solid play can suddenly see a lot of betting action while others that disappoint will see their odds impacted as a result.
What are the most popular Super Bowl bets?
One of the best things about Super Bowl betting is the variety of betting options available. From those new to betting to seasonedhandicappers, there are always plenty of attractive betting opportunities available.
Here’s a rundown of the most popular Super Bowl bets:
Point SpreadBets: For these bets, you’re deciding which side you like to win the game while also factoring in the point spread, which has been put in place by oddsmakers.
MoneylineBets: For this wager, you need to decide which side will win the game without worrying about any extra points being factored into the equation.
TotalsBets: This bet revolves around the total points scored in the game. Oddsmakers will put a benchmark in place while bettors decide if the points scored will be over or under the designated number.
PropBets: These are additional wagers available beyond the traditional game bets. Prop bets can revolve around a specific instance happening in a game, or a player reaching a specific benchmark, for example.
While much of the chatter in the run-up to the game revolves around the traditional bet types, prop bets are bigbusiness for the Super Bowl. These bets are available for pretty much every game, but the sportsbooks go the extra mile and open up the market for the Super Bowl.
For example, there are prop bets on how long the nationalanthem will take prior to the game or the color of the Gatorade in the victory celebration. In addition to being cool talking points, bets like these have gained a good deal of popularity in recent years.
Of course, both die-hard football fans and casual watchers can always take it a step further and create some of their own fun Super Bowl party-style games and bets (with or without adult beverages.)
Why does the betting line change?
Once the Super Bowl matchup is final, oddsmakers will release the game lines. The moneyline odds will tell you which side is favored to win the game outright, while the totals numbers will give you the estimated points scored for the matchup.
The spread odds capture much of the attention in the run-up to the game. In a nutshell, the oddsmakers attach an additional wrinkle to the equation via the point spread. The favoredside will have to win by a certain amount of points to cover the spread, while the underdog side can win if they keep the margin closer than the spread suggests.
Leading up to the game, the spread odds can shift based on market action. The 2019 Super Bowl provides a perfectexample of this.
Upon release, the Los Angeles Rams were slight favorites over the New England Patriots. As bets began to come in, the market shifted. By game time, the Patriots were favored over the Rams.
Some bettors like to jump on lines as they are released, while others prefer to wait until closer to game time to place their bets. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, but be aware that the lines can shift during the week. If you see a spread that you like, you may want to get your bets in.
Super Bowl futures betting
As listed above, there is an active futures betting market for the winner of the upcoming Super Bowl. Exactly what does that mean? Sportsbooks list “futures” odds for each of the teams in the league to win the big game both before and during the season. At some books the odds are released as soon as the current Super Bowl is in the books.
Bettors can make their choices at any point and lock in a bet at the current odds being offered. After doing so, they’ll hold a futures ticket on their selection. Those who are correct will have to wait until the conclusion of the Super Bowl, obviously, but the experience can be quite rewarding.
As bets are placed and time moves along, futures odds change. Some teams may receive a lot of bets, and their odds will lessen as a result. Teams who don’t receive as much attention may see their odds lengthen, i.e., increase. This process goes on throughout the preseason and into the regular season.
Beyond the actual number of bets placed on each team, futures odds are also impacted by things such as significant injuries to key players and teamperformance once the games begin. Teams who looked like potential contenders in the preseason could fall flat once the games begin to count, while others can come out of nowhere and impress.
As Super Bowl futures odds shift as the season plays out you can get a bet in at any time. it’s a fun way to stay engaged on the Super Bowl on a year-round basis, not to mention potentially making a nice profit if all goes well.
Is it legal to bet on the Super Bowl?
Yes, betting on the Super Bowl is perfectly legal in states that have legalized sports betting. For the 2021 Super Bowl you can bet on:
Click on the link for your state to see the full range of sportsbooks open for your Super Bowl bets. All sportsbooks in licensed states will offer numerous Super Bowl betting markets both in-person and online.
While the total amount bet at legal online sportsbooks is still small compared to the total amount bet on the Super Bowl in the US every year, the list of legalized states continues to grow. For an up-to-date look at where things stand throughout the US, you can view our “State-by-State Legal Gambling Guide”.
Why you should bet at legal sportsbooks
While there remains a sizeable black market for sports betting, the legal, regulated market continues to grow at an astronomical rate. Nevada is no longer the only option for legal US sports betting, and some of the numbers we see from newly legalized states are eye-popping.
That’s only going to continue as additional states climb on board. It’ll get to the point in which the offshore operators are an afterthought, but we’re not quite there yet.
In the meantime, here are a few key factors to consider when deciding where to place wagers with your hard-earned dollars:
Sportsbooks in approved US states, such as our recommended providers, are legal, regulated and above board.
The same can’t be said for offshore operators, many of which have unclear contact information in the event something goes wrong.
If you stick with a legal, regulated sportsbook, your money will be safe. For offshore sportsbooks, that’s far from a given.
Sportsbooks running in legalized US markets have had to jump through hoops to get to this point. Everything is on the up and up, as fly-by-night operators wouldn’t pass the muster on licensing and security.
If you wager on an unregulated site, you have no guarantee that they’ll be there tomorrow or the next day.
Putting your money at stake in the black market is becoming more and more of an unnecessary risk to take.
As the biggest sporting event of the year, the Super Bowl attracts significant action at sportsbooks. A good deal of the money comes from small recreational bettors, but plenty also flows in from bettors with much larger bankrolls.
Here’s a look at some of the largest wagers placed on the 2019 Super Bowl between the Rams and Patriots:
$2 million on the Rams moneyline.
$1 million on Patriots -2.5 points.
$50,000 on Rams’ Super Bowl future for a potential win of $175,000.
$15,000 on Patriots’ Super Bowl future for a potential win of $75,000.
The Patriots went on to win the game by a score of 13-3. It was great news for Patriots’ moneyline and spread bettors, as well as those who went for the under on totals bets. For those who placed a boatload of cash on the Rams and the over, there’s always next year.
Super Bowl commercials, halftime shows
The Super Bowl commands the most massive viewing audience of the year. As such, it’s a bonanza for advertisers, as well as a pricey one for those looking to ply their wares in front of millions of eyes.
Here are some of the key stats from the 2019 Super Bowl to further illustrate that:
Broadcast network CBS charged a record $5.25 million for 30-second ads.
The price for ads has nearly doubled over the past decade ($2.69 million in 2008).
According to Nielsen ratings, 98.2 million people tuned into the game.
It’s not hard to see why many companies will pay up for Super Bowl ads, as the exposure to that many people at once is tough to beat.
Through the years, halftime shows have evolved from basic marching band type stuff to the elaborate productions we have seen in recent decades.
The halftime show for the 2021 Super Bowl will feature The Weeknd. Halftime at the 2020 Super Bowl showcased JenniferLopez and Shakira.
Super Bowl trivia & fun facts
On Feb. 2, 2020, Super Bowl LIV will take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL.
The previous 53 editions of the big game have all been memorable in their own right, some with iconic Super Bowl moments. Each has done its part to shape NFL history.
How did the Super Bowl start?
The Super Bowl is the championship football game for the NFL. The game features the champion of the American Football Conference versus the winner of the National Football Conference, as determined by an exciting round of playoffs.
Initially, the Super Bowl was a meeting of the two champions of rival leagues, the NFL and the upstart American Football League. The two leagues would eventually merge, setting up the AFC versus NFC format that has stood the test of time.
The first big game was dubbed as the World Championship Game, though it’s retroactively referred to as Super Bowl I.
It took place on Jan. 15, 1967, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and pitted the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs versus the NFL champion Green Bay Packers. The Packers would go on to win the game by a score of 35-10.
Which NFL teams have the most Super Bowl wins?
In the Super Bowl era, some franchises have found more success than others. Here are the teams with the most Super Bowl trophies:
Six Super Bowl wins: New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers
Five Super Bowl wins: Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers
Four Super Bowl wins: Green Bay Packers, New York Giants
Three Super Bowl wins: Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Washington Redskins
Which teams have had the most Super Bowl appearances?
The five teams who have appeared in the most Super Bowls, along with their record in the big game:
New England Patriots: 11 appearances, 6-5
Pittsburgh Steelers: Eight appearances, 6-2
Dallas Cowboys: Eight appearances, 5-3
Denver Broncos: Eight appearances, 3-5
San Francisco 49ers: Six appearances, 5-1
Which teams have won consecutive Super Bowls?
Seven teams have won consecutive Super Bowl titles: Packers, Dolphins, Steelers (twice), 49ers, Cowboys, Broncos and the Patriots.
No team has ever won three in a row. The Vikings, Broncos and Bills are the only teams to have lost consecutive Super Bowls.
Which teams have the most consecutive losses?
The Bills hold the record for most consecutive losses in the Super Bowl, as they lost the big game each year from 1991 through 1994.
Which teams have never won the NFL Championship?
There are 32 teams in the NFL, and 28 of them have appeared in at least one Super Bowl. Here are the four teamswho have never made it to the big game:
Cleveland Browns
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
Additionally, eightfranchises have made it to at least one Super Bowl without ever winning. Here are those teams, along with their record in the final game of the year:
MinnesotaVikings: 0-4
BuffaloBills: 0-4
CincinnatiBengals: 0-2
CarolinaPanthers: 0-2
AtlantaFalcons: 0-2
LosAngelesChargers: 0-1
TennesseeTitans: 0-1
ArizonaCardinals: 0-1
Which NFL teams have had rematches?
The same two teams have squared off in consecutive years just once in Super Bowl history. That took place in 1992 and 1993 when the Dallas Cowboys played the Buffalo Bills, with the former winning both times. However, there have been some other matchups that have taken place more than once, albeit in nonconsecutive years:
Cowboys vs. Steelers: 1975, 1978,1995
Dolphins vs. Redskins: 1972, 1982
49ers vs. Bengals: 1981, 1988
Giants vs. Patriots: 2007, 2011
Patriots vs. Eagles: 2004, 2017
Patriots vs. Rams: 2001, 2018
Super Bowl Betting Projections
The amount of money wagered on the Super Bowl annually is pretty staggering. And that number will only grow as more states legalize sports betting in the coming year.
For now, the survey results from the American Gaming Association in advance of this year’s Super Bowl are rather eye-opening:
An estimated $6.8 billion in total will be bet on Super Bowl 55.
26 million+ Americans are expected to place wagers on the Super Bowl.
The numbers from the AGA survey include amounts wagered in the black markets, such as with unlicensed and unregulated offshore operators.
PlayUSA ran the numbers on the legal, licensed side. Here’s what we found:
$400 million in estimated legal wagers on the 2020 Super Bowl
$160 million of the total to be bet in Nevada.
$100 million of the total to be bet in New Jersey.
The remainder spread across the other legalized states.
The difference between the two sets of numbers further demonstrates the astonishing potential of legal, regulated sports betting. With licensed online sports betting now live in Colorado, Tennessee, Iowa, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Illinois plus Michigan and Virginia added to the mix soon, expect the total Super Bowl bets at legal US online sportsbooks to soar past $500-600 million in very short order.
$400 million
Our line for total amount Americans bet at legal sportsbooks on Super Bowl 54
$160 million
Our line for total amount of bets that placed in Nevada for Super Bowl.
$100 million
Our line for total amount bet at legal sportsbooks in New Jersey for Super Bowl.
$65 million
Our line for total amount bet at licensed sportsbooks in other regulated states.
$159 million
Total amount of Super Bowl bets taken by Nevada sportsbooks on the 2019 Super Bowl.
$1.17 million
Total amount won by Nevada sportsbooks on the 2019 Super Bowl for a total hold of under 1%.
$4.6 billion
Estimated amount of total illegal bets placed on the Super Bowl in 2019.
261
Estimated number of retail sportsbooks in the U.S. where you could place bet legally on Super Bowl 54.
Super Bowl FAQ
When and where is the 2021 Super Bowl?
The 2021 edition will be Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, 2020, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL, and broadcast on CBS.
The venue is hosting the Super Bowl for the third time. The last one was Super Bowl XLIII in 2009, when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23.
What NFL player has the most Super Bowl rings?
At the top of the list with six rings is TomBrady of the New England Patriots. CharlesHaley is next with five rings, two with the San Francisco 49ers and three with the Dallas Cowboys.
Which NFL team has made the Super Bowl the most and lost?
The New England Patriots and Denver Broncos aretied for the most with five Super Bowl losses.
The Patriots have won their six other trips to the big game, while the Broncos have won three Super Bowls.
Next on the list is the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills, as both franchises have lost four Super Bowls. Neither franchise has managed a win on the game’s biggest stage.
How much is a Super Bowl ring worth?
Exact numbers for the 2020 Super Bowl rings have not been made public, but it was noted as the largest and most expensive ring ever created was for a Super Bowl winner.
For perspective, rings for Super Bowl XLIV had a reported price tag of $36,500 each, but that number has been surpassed in recent years.
Who has the most yards rushing / passing?
TomBrady holds the record for most passing yards in a single Super Bowl, as he threw for 505 yards in Super Bowl LII. The New England Patriots lost to the PhiladelphiaEagles in that contest. Brady also holds the career mark for Super Bowl passing yards, as he has thrown for 2,838 yards over his nine appearances.
For a single game, TimmySmith holds the record with 204 rushing yards in Super Bowl XXII.
FrancoHarris holds the all-time mark with 354 yards over four appearances.
JerryRice is atop both categories in receiving. He hit 215 yards in Super Bowl XXIII and amassed 589 receiving yards over four Super Bowls.
How many Super Bowl rings does Tom Brady have?
Tom Brady earned his sixth Super Bowl ring when the New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
He now holds the record, breaking a tie he held with CharlesHaley, a defensive player who earned five rings during his time with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys.
