Whether it’s your first time betting on the Super Bowl or you’re a seasoned veteran, deciding how to bet and what to bet on before the game can be difficult to decide.
As the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 55th edition of the NFL’s Super Bowl, the talent involved in this game may make it difficult to predict which wagers will be successful and which won’t.
This guide has been put together to help you learn everything you need to know before betting on Super Bowl LV, from general information about the game itself to more in-depth analysis on each team.
Super Bowl LV General Information
The 2021 Super Bowl will be played between the Kansas City Chiefs (14-2) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5) at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida on February 7 at 6:30 pm ET.
What makes the location even more significant this year is the fact that the Buccaneers are the first team in NFL history to play in a Super Bowl inside of their home stadium.
While it’s impossible to have a fully sold-out stadium during a pandemic, 22,000 fans will be allowed to attend the Super Bowl, including 7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers who are receiving a fully paid trip to the game by the NFL.
Super Bowl LV will be broadcast on CBS this year with Jim Nantz handling SB play-by-play for the sixth time while Tony Romo will handle color commentary duties for the second time at a Super Bowl.
And for those who are interested in the musical acts, Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan will be singing the national anthem, H.E.R. will singing “America the Beautiful” and The Weeknd is the Super Bowl Halftime performer.
Super Bowl LV Betting Information
When it comes to betting on NFL games in general, there are certain types of bets that are more popular than others. Below, you can find out about these bets, as well as how to sign up for sportsbooks if this is something new to you.
Point Spread
Point spread betting means that you’re wagering money based on whether or not you think a team will reach a margin in points that they’re expected to win by.
According to Bovada, the Chiefs were favored to win Super Bowl 55 with a point spread of -3.5 (EVEN) at the time of this writing (see our preview for updated odds). This means that they would have to win by at least four points to cover the spread. With EVEN odds, this means that you will win whatever you bet if the Chiefs win by four or more.
For example, if you bet $200 and the Chiefs cover the spread, you would win $200 as well as getting your original money back.
On the other hand, the Buccaneers’s odds of covering (+3.5) were at -120 at the time of writing. This means if you bet $200, you would win $166.67 if the Bucs win or lose by less than four points.
Moneyline
Betting on the moneyline of a game can be less stressful than focusing on the point spread because in this scenario, you’re just choosing who you think will win regardless of the score.
BetOnline also lists the Chiefs as being the favorites when it comes to winning the 2021 Super Bowl with odds at -175. They were also featuring the Buccaneers at +155 when this was written.
Total or OVER/UNDER
The total or OVER/UNDER is also something that bettors typically wager on. Betting on the total means that you’re predicting whether the two teams will combine to score more than the targeted amount of points (OVER) or less than what’s listed (UNDER).
For instance, Bovada had listed the total for Super Bowl LV at 56.5, which means there odds are listed at -110 for 57 or more points being scored and -110 for 56 or fewer points.
Prop Bets
Prop (“proposition”) bets are unique bets that you can wager on that don’t necessarily involve the outcome of a game.
Prop bets can be more fun because you can bet on random things like the possible length of the national anthem performance or who the Super Bowl MVP will mention first in their speech.
For instance, Bovada predicts that “Blinding Lights,” with -220 odds, is most likely to be the final song of The Weeknd’s halftime performance.
Other prop bets range from predicting which Jim Henson Muppet will appear first in a DoorDash commercial to which team will throw an interception first.
Live Betting
For those looking for added action throughout the game, check out live markets offered by most sportsbooks. Bookmakers will constantly update odds throughout the game that reflect the current situation and if you’re paying attention, you can find great value spots.
For example, last year, the Chiefs were down 10 points to the San Franciso 49ers with 6:13 left in the fourth quarter and many bettors were able to get KC on the live moneyline at +200 or better before Mahomes and the Chiefs completed their epic comeback to win Super Bowl 54.
How to Sign up for a Sportsbook
Sportsbooks can vary from region to region. If you’re living in the United States, your state may have access to one online sportsbook, but you may not be eligible for another.
However, regardless of where you live, if sportsbooks are legal, it’s relatively easy to sign up. Sportsbooks like Bovada and BetOnline will ask for things like your name, address and other typical personal information to get you started.
From there, you should be able to deposit money, which you can do in numerous ways, including credit card, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, and online interact.
Most online sportsbooks offer promotions and welcome bonuses, such as the website will match any amount you deposit up to a certain amount.
After that, you should be able to bet on whatever you’d like. If you end up winning, there should be a location on your profile where you can withdraw your funds.
Buccaneers Super Bowl Breakdown
The Buccaneers are making their first Super Bowl appearance since their Super Bowl 37 victory.
At the same time, Super Bowl LV will be Tom Brady’s 10th Super Bowl appearance and his first without New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
That’s right. After Super Bowl 55, win or lose, Brady will have played in 18 percent of Super Bowls. He’s entering the game after for throwing for 280 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game.
The Buccaneers have also been scoring an average of 30.7 points per game over their last three games, which is second-best in the NFL during that period. Meanwhile, their defense has averaged 23.0 (12th) during that same time frame.
On the injury front, the Buccaneers are hoping to have WR Antonio Brown (knee) and S Antoine Winfield Jr. (ankle) back in the lineup for Super Bowl LV.
Chiefs Super Bowl Breakdown
Even though the Chiefs won’t have a home-field advantage, they are the defending Super Bowl Champions and Patrick Mahomes is last year’s Super Bowl MVP.
Mahomes and co. just put up 38 points on the Buffalo Bills during the AFC Championship Game. Mahomes had 325 yards and three touchdowns on the day, while his two favorite weapons flourished.
WR Tyreek Hill had nine receptions for 172 yards and TE Travis Kelce had 13 receptions, 118 yards and two touchdowns. If the Chiefs can get their three superstars rolling early, it could be a high-scoring affair.
Besides, the Chiefs are tied for averaging the fourth-most points this season (regular + playoffs) at 29.6.
The Chiefs are also hoping to have RB Le’Veon Bell and WR Sammy Watkins return from injury to give Mahomes even more options.
Another big storyline in this game is that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has a chance to get revenge on Tom Brady.
Brady’s Patriots defeated Reid’s Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 39 and Reid now has the chance to make up for that at Super Bowl 55.
Reid and the Chiefs already had a crack at the Buccaneers in Week 12 of this season, which Kansas City ended up winning 27-24. In the game, the Chiefs were up 17-0 after the first quarter, but that margin faded away quickly.
Obviously, if a Week 12 game feels different than Super Bowl 55, so the outcome may end up being different.