Superbowl Betting Craze - NE vs NYG

The Superbowl is a single championship game that concludes the (American) National Football League (NFL) season. Though American football doesn’t gain much international attention during the regular season, the Suberbowl is a completely different story. Indeed, the Superbowl is much more than just a game.

Over the years, ‘Suberbowl Sunday’ has become a modern-day American national holiday. It’s the second-largest food consumption day in the US, topped only by Thanksgiving. The event is the most viewed television broadcast of the year, offering viewers many things other than football. The halftime entertainment show boasts popular singers and musicians. The pre-game ceremony, with the singing of the national anthem, is always a memorable moment. During the Suberbowl, even the commercials are a common cause of frenzy, being the most expensive minutes on television. But most notably – the Superbowl is the biggest sports betting event of the year.

Apart from the ‘normal’ wagers that can be placed on most sports events, the Superbowl is well known for its many proposition (or ‘prop’) bets. The fact is - you can bet on almost anything to do with the Superbowl. Every year bookmakers compete with each other, each trying to come up with the most original and extraordinary prop bet. Before we take a look at some of the more entertaining bets, here is a word about betting on the game itself.

This year the New England Patriots will face the New York Giants on Feb. 3rd, in what could be a historic game. New England has enjoyed a prefect regular season, winning all of their 16 games. If the Patriots are victorious, they will become the first NFL team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to go an entire season undefeated - and the first ever since the league expanded to a 16-game regular season, back in 1978. The Giants, on the other hand, have had their struggles during the beginning of the season, but have gained much momentum in the final weeks. After thee playoff wins against teams that were favored to beat them, the Giants now hold an NFL record of 10 consecutive wins on the road. Some experts say the Giants may have momentum on their side, and could pull off another upset in the big game.

The patriots are considered favorites to win, but what started with a 14-point lead on the ‘point spread’ bet, dropped to a 12-point lead late last week. On the ‘total points’ bet, most betting sites offer an ‘over/under’ of 53.5 points.

Here are some other things to consider before placing the point spread and over/under wagers:

• Be sure to shop around for the online sports betting site that will offer you the best odds (or the best spread).
• The spread is updated regularly, so be patient with your bet. Most people tend to bet on the favorite team, and on the ‘over’ spread, so the spread usually increases as the game gets closer. However, the 14 point lead given to the Patriots may have been too generous, as most bettors went for the Giants. That is why the spread became smaller, but it is most likely to change several times again before the game starts.
• In the final game of the regular season, the Patriots beat the Giants 38-35. Both teams (especially the Patriots) are considered highly offensive.

Other, more exiting Superbowl wagers include:

• First/last team to score
• First/last team to score wins game
• Team to have the longest touchdown/pass/running play
• Which half will score more points
• 1st team to turn the ball over
• 1st team to use coaches challenge
• 1st team to call timeout
• 1st team to get penalized
• 1st team to cross midfield mark
• Will first missed field goal be wide left or wide right
• Will there be a score in the last 2 minutes of the 1st half
• Will there be a score in the 1st 6.5 minutes of the game
• Will Jordin Sparks take over 1:42 to sing the National Anthem

Regardless of whether or not you follow American Football, it’s plain to see why the Superbowl is truly a happy day for bettors.

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