Patrick Everson
FOX Sports Betting Analyst
Super Bowl LIX odds are now in the rearview mirror. And in a season when the public betting masses dominated for months, it appears the sportsbooks clawed a few dollars back Sunday night.
The Philadelphia Eagles scored the game’s first 34 points and breezed to a 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Pregame, most oddsmakers said they needed the Eagles, including The SuperBook in Las Vegas.
“The Eagles were a very good result for us. We needed the Under, of course, but we can’t complain,” SuperBook vice president John Murray said.
Oddsmakers at sportsbooks across the country recap the day in Super Bowl betting.
Proving Prophetic
A couple of hours before kickoff Sunday, Murray provided what might have been a prophetic quote.
“We just don’t want anything to happen. When Kansas City has the ball, nothing.”
Stunningly, for almost three quarters of the game, that’s what Kansas City got: nothing.
The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs trailed 34-0 before finally finding the end zone late in the third quarter. Even then, the subsequent 2-point attempt failed, making it 34-6.
Kansas City was down 24-0 at halftime, which helped The SuperBook and others vacuum up more money. Public bettors — reminiscing about when the New England Patriots rallied from down 28-3 to shock the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime — piled in on Chiefs in-game moneyline.
“On in-game, everyone was on Chiefs moneyline. The in-game was a massive decision,” BetMGM Nevada’s Scott Shelton said.
Added Murray: “We did take a lot of in-progress moneyline bets at 10/1 at halftime.”
But Patrick Mahomes & Co. didn’t have a Patriots-like comeback in them.
Prime Sportsbook, which operates in the Ohio and New Jersey markets, also did well with the Eagles’ rout.
“Great result for us,” Prime’s Joe Brennan Jr. said. “With the exception of the game going Over, Philly winning in a blowout is what we needed, and we got it. We also did very well on in-game, with a lot of first-half handle coming in on K.C.”
Jalen Hurts, Eagles stun Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs in Super Bowl blowout
It’s Never Under Til It’s Over
The only universal complaint from oddsmakers on Sunday night was the Over hitting on the total.
Most sportsbooks closed at either 48 or 48.5. With the Chiefs offense in neutral or even reverse for long stretches, it appeared the Under would cash.
But Kansas City got a couple of late window-dressing touchdowns to at least give the public a win on the Over.
“We would’ve been better off with the Under. All the sharp money was on the Under. But all the parlays were going to the Over,” South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said, before addressing the overall result.
“It was good but not great. Nothing really to complain about.”
Jalen Hurts & Saquon Barkley: Are the Eagles set for a dynasty?
Pickett’s Pass
Super Bowl prop bets are the most interesting aspect of this game. Everyone gets involved, from the first-timers to recreational bettors to the sharpest of the sharps.
This year, one prop hit that most certainly shouldn’t have. Every year, the public is on Over 2.5 players to attempt a pass. With Super Bowl LIX turning into a blowout, there was a dearth of creative plays — for example, a running back or wide receiver throwing a pass.
But then came a reprieve from the governor. Rather than letting Jalen Hurts run some innocuous plays or even kneel-downs late, the Eagles decided to put backup Kenny Pickett in the game with 2:54 remaining.
“Pickett entering the game at the end there was very costly for us,” Murray said.
Indeed. For some wild reason, on fourth-and-six at the 50-yard line, with 1:59 remaining and a 40-14 lead, Philly decided to go for it. Pickett’s pass was incomplete, but Over 2.5 bettors rejoiced.
“I can’t believe they didn’t let Hurts kneel out his Super Bowl win. But what can you do,” Murray said. “It was still a good day for us overall.”
The odds weren’t massive, at just +175 or so. But a $100 bet netting $175 profit (total payout $275) is nothing to sneeze at.
Other Prop Pops
The coin toss is the most-bet Super Bowl prop.
On Sunday, those who wagered on tails were rewarded with a payout before kickoff. But that’s basically just an even-money wager.
You bet 10 bucks, you win 10 bucks. You bet a hundred bucks, you win a hundred bucks.
A successful 2-point conversion also drives a lot of public dollars but pays out notably better. Kansas City had a pair of 2-point conversions in fourth-quarter garbage time, so that prop paid out, as well.
Caesars Sports had the Yes on a 2-point attempt at +260. So a $100 play profited $260, for a $360 total payout.
The recreational crowd also often bets on a defensive or special teams touchdown. Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean delivered on that with a 38-yard interception return that put Philly up 17-0 midway through the second quarter.
The odds on that prop were in the +300 range. So a $100 bet picked up $300 in profit, for a $400 total payout.
Not bad at all.
Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
