The NFL Super Bowl is not only one of the most popular sporting events to watch; it’s also one of the most betted-on events each year. It’s estimated that around 26 million people bet on the big game in 2020, waging about $6.8 billion.

Even people who don’t normally bet on sports may place a wager on the Super Bowl. You might not know much about football or the players involved, you might be a diehard fan of pigskin, or maybe you’re just showing allegiance for your hometown team. In any case, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of this championship game.

If you’ve never bet on the Super Bowl before, though, you likely need a few tips. Keep reading to learn how to bet on the NFL Super Bowl and learn about some of the bets you should consider making before kickoff 

Is Betting on the NFL Super Bowl Legal?

The federal ban on online sports betting — including betting on the NFL Super Bowl — was lifted by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. This landmark decision paved the way for 18 states and Washington, D.C., to pass laws legalizing betting on sports and the usage of sportsbooks. As of August 2020, this list included:

• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Delaware
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• West Virginia
• Washington, D.C.

Legislation is in the works in about 13 additional states; if it isn’t legal in your state yet, it could be soon.

Where Do You Place Bets on the Super Bowl?

There are many ways to place a bet on the Super Bowl. Some offices might have a betting pool, or you might place a casual bet among friends and family. However, even if you’re betting just for fun at work or with friends, you’ll want to be safe and report any winnings above $600 to the IRS.

There are more formal channels available for betting, though. There are places known as sportsbooks in states where sports betting is now legal. Sportsbooks are safe spaces where you can go to place your bet on the Super Bowl and other sporting events. There are also online sportsbooks that take bets virtually.

How Should I Choose a Team on Which to Bet in the Super Bowl?

In sports betting, betting on the simplest outcome of the game (who wins and who loses) is known as moneyline betting. It’s pretty simple: If the team you’ve bet on wins the game, you win your bet. But which team should you put your money on?

When deciding which team to bet on in the Super Bowl, the easiest decision is sometimes the emotional choice for most sports bettors. Maybe you’ve been a hardcore fan of the New England Patriots or San Francisco 49ers since you were a child and your team finally made it to the Super Bowl, or maybe you know nothing about either team but you like the color of one team’s jersey better, like Miami Dolphins aqua or Green Bay Packers green. 

Maybe your team is in the AFC or NFC, so you want to bet on the team from your conference that made it to the Super Bowl this year. Or maybe your favorite player has moved to a new team (like Tom Brady moving to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), so you want to bet on him.

If you’re trying to win big, you’ll want to put some thought into your betting strategy before Super Bowl Sunday. If that’s the case, the first thing you should do is compare the two teams that have made it to this championship game. How did they each do throughout the season? Were they projected to win big early on? 

More importantly, which team has the best odds of winning going into the Super Bowl? Then, decide if you want to go for the safest bet or the more interesting one. By betting for the team with the lower odds of winning, you have the opportunity to make more money if they win. In general, the payout for moneyline bets is lower because they’re so simple and straightforward.

What Other NFL Super Bowl Bets Can I Place?

There are other types of bets to place on the Super Bowl, as well. These bets require a bit more knowledge of the game and are more complicated to place. Here are a few of these bets and how you can make them.

Point Spread Betting 

Rather than betting on which team will win the game, you’re betting on the score of the game. This type of bet is sometimes referred to as “betting the spread” or “handicap betting.”

These are specific bets in which you place money on Team A winning by a specific number of points or on Team B losing by a specific number. This type of bet requires a lot of research because you need to review the odds of each team winning. If a team is a clear underdog, even if they win the game, it likely won’t be by a large amount. It’s also important to look at the previous head-to-head results between these two teams during the regular season. This can give you an idea of what their Super Bowl matchup might look like.

Ahead of the game, oddsmakers will set a point spread for each team. If there is a big difference between the teams playing, the point spread can act as a bit of an equalizer. When the point spread is displayed, there will be a minus sign in front of the point spread for the favored team and a plus sign next to the point spread for the underdog.

Let’s say the point spread is -6.5 for Team A and +6.5 for Team B. In this scenario, Team A is the favorite. If you bet on Team A, they’ll need to win the game by seven points or more for you to win your bet. Meanwhile, if you bet on Team B, you can win in either of two ways: if they lose by one to six points or if they win the game to cover that spread.

It’s important to note that point spread bets typically have -110 odds, which means you need to bet $110 to make $100. However, this number isn’t set in stone.

Total Bet Wagers

Total bets are wagers placed on the combined score of the game when you factor in each team’s score. You can bet on an exact number or you can bet that the outcome will total over or under a certain number of points. For that reason, this type of bet is sometimes also called over/under betting. The odds for total bets are also usually -110.

Prop Bets

Sports bettors can also focus their l betting on the achievements of specific players, also known as Super Bowl prop bets. If you'd rather bet on Patrick Mahomes than the Kansas City Chiefs, you can bet specifically on the number of yards he completes during the game. Similarly, if a quarterback ranks high for the number of passing yards he made throughout the season, like Jared Goff for the Rams, you might consider the odds of him scoring a touchdown during the Super Bowl. Another popular Super Bowl prop bet is to wager on which player will be named MVP.

Live Betting 

Live betting, also known as in-game betting, is exactly what it sounds like: Sports bettors are wagering on the game as it unfolds live. This means the odds change continuously after every play or possession, making for an exciting form of NFL game betting.

Future Games

With the excitement of the big game, the Super Bowl is a great time to bet on future games. This could range from the next Super Bowl, the NFL season in general, or even other sports.

Find a Platform for Super Bowl Betting

If you’re interested in Super Bowl betting — or other NFL football and sports games — let GamblersPick help you find the right online gambling platform or sportsbook for you. Not all platforms accept sports wagers, but we’re here to point you in the right direction.

Our comprehensive website can help you find the online betting sites that suit your needs based on what you’re betting on, your location, your preferred payment method, and other criteria. We also have an active community of real-life players and sports bettors who share their personal experiences with different casinos and gambling platforms to help you decide which one is best for you.

FAQs: How to Bet on the Super Bowl

Where can I place a bet on the Super Bowl?

GamblersPick can help you find the right online gambling platform to place a bet on this year's Super Bowl.

How do I bet on the Super Bowl online?

Several sites allow you to make a bet on the Super Bowl online - simply visit our site of online gambling platforms.

What bets can be made on the Super Bowl?

The betting options that can be made on the NFL Super Bowl will vary by gambling platform, but there are dozens of bets that you can make on the Super Bowl beyond those related to the actual football game, like what might happen during the halftime show, the result of the coin toss, how long it'll take to sing the National Anthem, or the color of Gatorade players dump on the team's winning coach.

What are the current odds on the Super Bowl?

The current Super Bowl odds have been constantly changing since the preseason and will continue to do so through the end of the playoffs, but you can check Super Bowl LV odds on major publications that cover the NFL. During this current season, the Kansas City Chiefs have been the favorite to win Super Bowl 55, with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, and the Seattle Seahawks also in contention.