That mass appeal of the Super Bowl draws in plenty of new sports bettors, all wondering how to bet on the Super Bowl. Learn how to read Super Bowl LVIII betting odds and get tips and strategies with our comprehensive Super Bowl betting guide.
How to bet on Super Bowl odds
The first Super Bowl odds line oddsmakers release when the teams are set is the point spread, followed by the moneyline odds and the Over/Under total. Sportsbooks will then add to the Super Bowl betting options during the two-week ramp-up to Super Bowl Sunday.
Point spread: Pick who will cover
The point spread is the most popular way to bet on the Super Bowl.
It’s the perceived margin of victory of the game. The favorite is indicated by a negative value (-) in front of the spread, and the underdog is indicated by a positive value (+) in front of its spread.
For the favorite to cover the spread, it must win by more than the point spread. And, for the underdog to cover, it must win outright or lose by less than the spread.
In this example, the San Francisco 49ers are a -2-point favorite, and the Kansas City Chiefs are +2-point underdog. This means the Chiefs have to win by two or more points to cover the spread. Philadelphia could win outright or lose by just one point to cover the spread.
San Francisco 49ers | -2 (-110) |
Kansas City Chiefs | +2 (-110) |
When looking at Super Bowl point spread odds, bettors need to understand the vig or juice – the cost of the bet. Both sides of the point spread will have another set of odds attached, known as the vig or juice.
Vig will display next to the spreads: -2 (-110) / +2 (-110). Sportsbooks often use a flat -110 line for point spreads, which means you can win $1 for every $1.10 risked or wager $110 to win $100.
Over/Under: Will the combined score go Over or Under the total?
The Over/Under (also referred to as the total) is the projected total number of points scored by both teams. You can wager on whether the final score will go Over or Under that total.
In the example below, the Over/Under total is set at 47.5 points. If 48 or more points are scored, the game goes Over; if 47 points or fewer are scored, the game goes Under.
San Francisco 49ers | OVER 47.5 (-110) |
Kansas City Chiefs | UNDER 47.5 (-110) |
As with point spread bets, the Super Bowl Over/Under has a vig assigned to either side of the total. Most bookmakers use a -110 line on Over/Under betting, meaning for every $1.10 risked, you would win $1 or bet $110 to win $100. It would display as Over 47.5 (-110) / Under 47.5 (-110).
Moneyline: Pick who wins the game
The moneyline is the most basic Super Bowl bet you can place: Simply pick the winner of the game.
In this example of Super Bowl moneyline odds, San Francisco is a -125 favorite, which means for every dollar you wish to win you have to wager $1.25. The Chiefs are a +100 moneyline underdog, which means for every $1 risked, you could win $1. Whichever team wins the game outright will be the moneyline winner.
San Francisco 49ers | -125 |
Kansas City Chiefs | +100 |