The Ultimate Guide to Betting on Super Bowl XLIX

Super Bowl Sunday is almost here, and it’s time to relish the American dream. That means betting big on the big game.

It’s that time of year again. On February 2 Americans will gather in bars, restaurants, living rooms, and basements across the country to enjoy a national tradition: Super Bowl Sunday. There will be food and drink galore, people will laugh, they will cry, stars will be born, and history will be made. For better and for worse.

Amidst it all, money will change fans. NFL fans will wager billions of dollars on the big game, both in Las Vegas and with online sportsbooks in the US and Canada and in offshore locales like Antigua and Malta.

Whether you’re a battle-hardened bettor or casual NFL fan looking to wager money on the Super Bowl, now is the time to tailor your betting strategy. You need to pour over information to learn the ins and outs of the point spread and money line, survey each of the dozens of prop bets available on the game, and of course, dig deep into the history books to find patterns in Super Bowl betting results.

A brief intro to Super Bowl XLIX

Super Bowl XLIX (the 49th installment of the big game) will be played in sunny Phoenix, Arizona between the defending champion Seattle Seahawks and the greatest dynasty over the past 15 years, the New England Patriots.

This is a contest of two number 1 seeds. Both teams finished with 12-4 records in their respective conferences, gaining strength as the season wore on before pummeling opponents in the Super Bowl. The Seahawks trounced the Panthers 31-17 in the Divisional Playoff before coming out of a 16-0 hole and beating the Packers 28-22 in overtime in the NFC Championship.

The Patriots rallied in the second half to beat the Ravens 35-31 in the AFC Divisional Round, then annihilated the Colts by a score of 45-7 in the AFC Championship. As strong as the Seahawks are defensively, the Patriots offense looks unstoppable.

What do Las Vegas bookmakers have to say about the game? It’s the closest we’ve seen to a push since 1982. The Pats are favored on the spread by -1, while the money line has them at 1.86/1 and the Seahawks as 1.95/1.

The series

Our team of sports betting experts, NFL junkies, and insufferable nerds have put together a full range of analyses on betting lines and spreads, top props, the history of the Super Bowl, and the best and worst personalities around the NFL. Here are a few topics covered:

Why is Betting on the Super Bowl Illegal?

The United States of America is supposed to be the land of the free and a country ruled by reason, but when it comes to US gambling laws, it is neither of those things. Sports betting is legal in only four states: Nevada, Delaware, Oregon, and Montana.

Roughly $100 million is wagered on the game with Nevada Sportsbooks, but that pales in comparison to the estimated $10 billion wagered worldwide.

The Funniest and best Super Bowl ads ever

Some of us literally watch the big game because we love the advertisements. With 30-second spot airing during the Super Bowl, we expect each ad to make us laugh, cry, or change the way we think about the world. Each of these ads did exactly that.

Tips for Betting on the Super Bowl in America

If this is your first time betting on the Super Bowl, there are some things you should know before you log on and start making bets: how to do it, where to do it, what the relevant laws and regulations are. We’ve got everything you need to bet on sports in America smartly, safely, and legally.

Best and worst Super Bowl cities ever

Super Bowl XLIX will be played in sunny Phoenix, Arizona. The logic is simple enough: its freezing in early February, so the game should be played in a warm weather location. Well, the NFL planning committee hasn’t always been that smart. Detroit, Minneapolis, and Indianapolis have each hosted Super Bowls.

Hottest NFL wives and girlfriends

Let’s face it. Male professional athletes, be they football players, basketball pros, or golfers, tend to attract gorgeous, talented, and charismatic women. Here are a few women seen publicly with NFL players: Erin Heatherton, Gisele Bundchen, Olivia Munn, Jennifer Walcott. If that isn’t clickbait, what is?

Why women are betting on the Super Bowl more than ever

The Super Bowl is America’s favorite sporting event, enjoyed by people of all ages, genders, and income levels. Last see Americans wagered a record $116 million with Vegas sportsbooks alone on the Seahawks-Broncos Super Bowl. According to survey data, a large proportion of that money was wagered by female bettors.

What’s causing women to bet on sports in larger numbers? A few factors. But most importantly, old-fashioned taboos are finally coming down.

Best NFL teams who didn’t win the Super Bowl

NFL fans reward winners. Regardless of how great a team may be, it will only be remembered favorably if it won the big game. Take the 2007-08 New England Patriots, the “greatest team in NFL history” with a perfect 16-0 regular season record.

That team lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl when online sportsbooks in the US favored them by 12 points. Fans now remember them as losers. Here are a few other teams that got close, but no cigar.

Biggest douchebags in NFL history

The NFL is America’s bad boy league packed with criminals, wife/child abusers, cheaters, and altogether not nice people. Here are some of the biggest jerks we’ve ever seen playing in the Super Bowl. A few belong in prison, a few should be suspended by the NFL, and a few….well…we just love to hate.

Does the Super Bowl bring an increase in sex trafficking?

“10,000 prostitutes trafficked into Miami for the 2010 Super Bowl.” “138 arrests for underage prostitution in Dallas during the 2011 Super Bowl.” Media headlines and conventional wisdom tell us that the Super Bowl is a festival of debauchery. But how accurate is that?

Anti-sex trafficking activists tell us not to believe the hype, but city officials in Phoenix are certainly taking it seriously.

What you should know before betting on Super Bowl XLIX

The betting lines and props have been released, and now it’s time for bettors to tailor their betting strategies. Here is in-depth analysis on which teams and players to bet on in the big game.

Looking for ways to win big money betting on the Super Bowl?

We watch the Super Bowl because we love the NFL, but also we love to bet on sports. And when we place a wager, we want to win big. We’ve done some serious analysis on how to win big on the big game.