We will find out who lifts the Lombardi Trophy in just a matter of days. While the spread has remained rather steady for over a week, the total continues to dip, as sharp bettors have hammered the under.
To the professional bettors, at least so far, the over is less attractive than Southwest Airlines’ baggage policy. The public, however, is wagering on the over, and it’s expected that more money will pour in on the over throughout the weekend. While 72% of the bets are on the over, the larger bets are all on the under. The spread, on the other hand, has settled in, with 67% of early tickets on the Seattle Seahawks.
“The betting public as a whole has clearly favored the Seahawks, but the larger, six-figure wagers that we’ve taken have been on the Patriots,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Sports Book Director. Still, the Book has seen only a fraction of what it will eventually be wagered. In the 72 hours leading up to kickoff, the Books and STN App will be more hopping than Bad Bunny.
With all that in mind, let’s quickly review the past week in sports and peek at what’s ahead on the STN Sports App and the STN Sports Books…
How Seattle Wins
It won’t take a Herculean effort from Sam Darnold to win Super Bowl LX, but the Seattle quarterback certainly needs to play well and protect the ball. With 14 interceptions and 6 fumbles, Darnold h actually led the league in turnovers, making it the first time since 2007 that a Super Bowl-bound QB held the dubious title (then again, it worked out pretty well for Eli Manning).
“He has to play like he did in that game against the Rams, in that he uses Jaxon Smith-Njigba, uses Kenneth Walker, and their defense sets up good field position,” Esposito said. “I think there’s more pressure on him to play a really good game. I know defensively they’re really good, although I didn’t think they played great against the Rams in the NFC Championship game.” That said, there’s a reason the Seahawks are favored in this game, as they are better, at least on paper.
“It will be interesting to see what happens with the spread, but I think it’s more likely to go up than down,” said Esposito.
How New England wins
Defense wins championships. If New England wins the Super Bowl, it will almost certainly be because of its defense, which generates more stops than an RTC bus route.
“The Patriots’ defense is definitely underrated. The offense has only averaged 18 points per game in all three playoff games, so their defense has really stepped up and played well,” Esposito said. Similarly, young quarterback Drake Maye will have to play a good, smart game, but he doesn’t necessarily have to be a hero on a team chock-full of unsung heroes.
“They’ve got a bunch of receivers that, outside of Stephon Diggs, are not household names,” Esposito said. “I think that maybe the one advantage they have is that Mike Vrabel has been there and done that as a player with the Patriots.”
Based on early bets, so things can change, STN Books will be cheering for the Patriots to cover or win in a low-scoring game.
LX Props
With over 1,300 ways to bet Super Bowl LX at STN Sports Books, there’s even more variety than a Hearthstone menu.
“A lot of the unders have become popular,” Esposito said of the array of prop bets. “Historically, it is kind of the other way, but I think as more and more guests filter in and the public itself likes the over, you’ll see some over money come in on a lot of the props, but more of the sharp action has been on the under so far.”
Among the bounty of ways to wager on the game, guests can bet on specific players or moments, such as whether there will be a successful two-point conversion, whether the game will go to overtime, or whether it will feature a safety. All three bets are among the most popular.
Harkening back to the 2015 Super Bowl featuring Seattle and New England, this prop is available… much to the dismay of Seahawks fans: Will the Seahawks attempt to pass from on or inside the Patriots one yard line? Bets tied to Cooper Kupp are already seeing a lot of play, from yards, receptions, touchdown scoring and his MVP chances. Some of the payouts for these props are juicier than a T-Bones steak. While both quarterbacks have the lowest MVP odds, followed by Smith-Njigba, Esposito sees value with both kickers.
“I think that both kickers could come into play. I think that I could see a little bit of a sluggish start for both teams, and both kickers really become an important part of what happens in this game,” he said. Come Sunday, it might be a podiatrist’s dream: all about the feet.
Bets To Know
1,300 and counting. That’s how many ways to bet the Big Game on the STN Sports App and at our books. Our favorite? “Will the Seahawks attempt to pass from on or inside the Patriots one yard line?” Sorry, 2015 Seahawks fans.
Weekly Winners
Winners? We are prepping for a lot. Because STN Sportsbooks have seen some massive six figure bets come in already for the Big Game this year, along with some parlays that could spell big trouble for the sports books if they hit! We look forward to sharing some of the biggest hits next week.