Overview
There are plenty of football odds to bet on throughout the NFL season, but special bets are different, and offer another way for fans to get excited and involved in the game.
Though there are the typical Super Bowl bets such as the moneyline and point spread, there are also the Super Bowl Specials, which are futures bets, which predict what division and conference will produce the Super Bowl winner.
How Do Super Bowl Special Odds Work?
Football odds are one of the most common odds in betting and similar to all other betting odds, as they are trying to predict the outcome of the game.
Odds are represented by positive or negative numbers. The team or bet that is favored is represented by a negative number while the underdog bet is represented with a positive number. The higher the number is, the greater the favorite or underdog.
The most popular Super Bowl specials are futures bets, which are pretty straightforward when it comes to betting.
The sportsbook has two options for betting, both the Super Bowl winning division and winning conference, giving each division and conference odds on winning the Super Bowl. Depending on the strength of the teams in that conference, one conference and division may be stronger than another, and therefore more favored to win the big game.
For example, the AFC Conference is favored to be the Super Bowl’s winning conference at -150 odds while the NFC Conference is the underdog at +120 odds. If an AFC team were to win again, a $150 bet would be required to win $100 while if a team from the NFC won, there would be a $120 payout on a $100 bet.
Betting Strategy
Since Super Bowl specials are futures bets, it’s a little tougher to employ a lot of strategies to ensure your bet pays out, however there are a couple.
The first would be to look at how much turnover each team has, as a successful team returning most of its players has a better shot at postseason success than a young and rebuilding team.
The strength of a team’s schedule could also help predict how a team will do in the postseason, because a team with a tougher schedule either may not make it to the postseason or will get a lower seed that will end with them getting bounced early in the playoffs.
Finally, when betting on the division, looking at the overall strength of the division is a solid strategy. Though a division may have one Super Bowl contender, the other three teams may not make it past round one, while another division may have three playoff teams that could go far, and betting on the latter may increase your chances for a payout.
Prop Bets
Just like in most sports, there is the opportunity to bet on prop bets in Super Bowl specials.
Prop bets give fans the chance to bet on the outcome of an event as well as how a player or team will perform in the game.
Some Super Bowl prop bets include which team will score first, what will be the first score of the game and what will be the first play of the game. There are also player props, with the most common being whether a player will pass a certain statistical mark or not.