Super Bowl LX saw the Seattle Seahawks vanquish the New England Patriots in a game led by defense. Through three quarters, only 12 points had been scored, all but ensuring the under (45.5) would cash, which was great for the STN Sports Book, as the public largely hammered the over.
“The best case would have been Seattle winning by one, two, three, or four, but having Seattle blow them out, and the game staying under was still really good,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Sports Book Director. “We did not want New England to win outright in any combination.”
The 29-13 result marked yet another Super Bowl where the spread didn’t matter, meaning the favorite covered or the underdog won outright. Only once since 2010 has a team won but not covered (the LA Rams didn’t cover the four-point line in the 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022).
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…
Six-Figure Bets
In the lead-up to the big game, major bets, most of them tied to the Patriots on the money line, poured in
“We did see a lot of late Pats money show, so we were clearly rooting for Seattle just to win,” Esposito said. Although the Seahawks garnered 64% of the ticket count, the money count was on New England, including one Red Rock guest who wagered $315,000 on the Patriots money line at +205. Several other six-figure bets on the Pats also showed up, as did a $110,000 wager on under 45.5 at Green Valley Ranch. Still, with 62% of the bets on the over, guests were hoping for a higher score than the NBA All-Star Game, which didn’t occur.
“We took some mid-five-figure wagers on the Seahawks, but most of the larger wagers came in on the Patriots,” Esposito said.
“For whatever reason, again, Seattle just wasn’t the sexy pick. They were bet against when they played the 49ers in the divisional round, even though they’re coming off a bye. Then they bet against them again against the Rams in the NFC Championship. We saw some of the bigger bets come in on the Rams against the Seahawks. So, they just aren’t a sexy team, although they were the No. 1 seed in the NFC.”
Prop Bets
While New England was getting demolished, guests were still very invested in the game, thanks to the litany of prop bets offered. “You saw a lot more unders on the prop betting this year,” Esposito said. “It’s not as sexy to the masses, but I think when you look at sharp and sophisticated betters, when they’re looking for value, and they looked at these two teams and really saw some of the struggles of the Patriots offensively, averaging 18 points per game in the postseason. Seattle, on the other hand, you could really see a very low-scoring first half.”
Whereas the Book avoided touchdowns by Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kenneth Walker, or Stefon Diggs, all hugely popular bets, the public won big when Seattle linebacker Uchenna Nwosu scored a defensive touchdown in the 4th quarter.
“There was no safety, no successful two-point conversation, and the game didn’t go to overtime, which were all beneficial to our side of the counter, but the defensive touchdown hurt us, and the special point spread bets were really, really good for the bettors,” Esposito said.
“We had guests laying some big numbers on the Seahawks and getting anywhere from +150 to over +300, all really good props for the bettors. When it was 19-0, at that point, we were just looking to kind of avoid the special-point spread props.”
Looking Ahead: Super Bowl LXI
Super Bowl LX had barely ended when the STN Sports Books posted future book odds for Super Bowl LXI, and you could argue that the newly-crowned champs are already getting disrespected.
As of now, the Seahawks are not leading the pack but are actually co-favorites with the Rams, although a lot can change with free agency and the NFL Draft. The two NFC West teams are followed by the Bills, Eagles, Lions, and Packers. But the early wagering has been on two teams farther down in the odds pecking order: the Bears and Giants, who latter of whom had just four wins last year and finished dead last in the NFC East.
“People are always looking for value up and down the future book board, and the Bears and Giants right now are those two teams that they’re looking for some value with,” Esposito said.
“They have John Harbaugh as coach. We don’t know how good the Commanders are. The Eagles are losing a number of coaches, and something looked off with that offense toward the end of the year. The Cowboys are in salary cap hell. It wouldn’t stun me if somehow the Giants won that division. I could see value there.”
Assuming New York comes back healthy, that offense could have more rhythm than a Bad Bunny halftime show.
On Chicago, Esposito said, “They’re creative and with what they can do, and if they pick up a pass rusher or two, they could easily take the next step.” Perhaps the most stunning aspect of the future book odds is the AFC champ’s position. The Patriots, who already have more rings than the Olympics, have higher odds than five other AFC teams.
Still, few people could have predicted the Pats/Hawks matchup last offseason, so is there a sleeper team out there lying in wait? Maybe one toward the bottom of the pack with high odds, much like the Patriots and Seahawks had entering the 2025 season?
“I think Atlanta maybe could be sneaky good,” Esposito said. “A lot is going to be contingent on Michael Penix and how he responds, but they’ve got a very talented group at the skill position players and a good young defense. I think there’s value with Atlanta with its price.”
Bets To Know
The Olympics are here! Check out the app for key games to put action on throughout.
Weekly Winners
Surgical picks! Congrats to this STN Sports bettor, who bet $1 to win $1,500 February 9:
-Kansas +2.5 -127
-Bradley +1.5 -110
-N Iowa +5 -110
-Valpo +3 -110
-UNC Wilmington +2.5 -110
-S Illinois +1.5
-Indiana -10.5 -110
-Navy money line -200
-Ark/Jackson St 1stH Under 75 -112
-Evansville +10.5 -110
-Chicago St / Saint Francis Over 68.5 -112
-Xavier +18 -145