THE HISTORY OF SUPER BOWL BETTING
As we head into the big game it makes sense to look back at betting history of the National Holiday that is THE SUPER BOWL.
AGAINST THE SPREAD
Favorites are 28-23-2 against the spread. Early Super Bowls were dominated by the favorites going 21-9 in the first 30 titanic tilts, but the dogs have been doing the barking in the 2000s with the fav going a dismal 6-13-1 against the spread.
Double-digit favorites are 6-6 and the biggest upset in Super Bowl History was the Jets shocker over the Colts in Super Bowl III. Joe Namath and Gang Green headed into the bowl as 18-point dogs and rolled out as 16-7 winners.
The Patriots who have been to a record 11 Super Bowls were the 2nd biggest dogs to win the big one, upsetting “The Greatest Show on Turf” Rams as a 14-point underdog.
OVER/UNDERS
On the totals side of the betting docket, Overs are ahead 28-24 (there was no over/under in Super Bowl I). Early Super Bowls were dominated by unders going 7-1 in the first eight, in a series of snoozefests, the worst being the Blunder Bowl, a turgid affair between the Colts and Cowboys, in a game that featured 11 turnovers and 5 fumbles in the 4th quarter. The game mercilessly ended 16-13, when Colts kicker Jim O’Brien nailed the game-winner as time expired.
Overs have turned the trend around lately, holding a 6-1 advantage over unders in the past seven title matches.
The highest-scoring Super Bowl was the 49ers’ romp over the Chargers 49-26, the game in which Steve Young finally got the monkey off his back.
BOOKIES TAKE A BEATING
The worst day for bookies in the history of Super Bowls was Black Sunday in 1979, a game between the Steel Curtain Pittsburgh Steelers and America’s team, the Dallas Cowboys. The line opened up at Steelers -5. Money came flowing in from everywhere on Dallas, and they bet the line down to 3. When the line hit 3, Pittsburgh money surged in, and the final line was Pittsburgh Steelers -3.5.
The final score was 35-31, leaving the Dallas bettors who got the 5-point early line winning and the Steelers bettors who got in late at 3 and 3 ½ winners, and the bookies taking their worst Super Bowl beating ever.
BETTORS TAKE A BEATING
The worst beat in Super Bowl history had to be the first half of the Super Bowl XL, between the Steelers and the Cardinals. The first-half line was Cardinals +3, and with 18 seconds left, the Cards had the ball on the Steelers’ 2-yard line. The worst-case scenario for Cards backers was a push, but a TD or an easy FG would give them the victory. Unfortunately, James Harrison picked off a pass and rambled down the sidelines 100 yards, surviving a late Larry Fitzgerald goal-line tackle and a long review to score the TD and send Cards fans wanting to do a face plant into a bowl of guacamole.
A LOOK BACK
Below is the history of every Super Bowl, the line and the over/under.
| SB | Final Score | Spread (Total) | Betting Results | AFC/NFC SU/ATS |
| LIII (Feb 3, 2019) | New England 13, Los Angeles 3 | NE -2.5 (55.5) | Favorite (OVER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| LII (Feb 4, 2018) | Philadelphia 41, New England 33 | NE -4.5 (49) | Underdog (OVER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| LI (Feb 5, 2017) | New England 34, Atlanta 28 | NE -3 (57.5) | Favorite (OVER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| L (Feb 7, 2016) | Denver 24, Carolina 10 | Car -4.5 (43) | Underdog (UNDER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| XLIX (Feb 1, 2015) | New England 28, Seattle 24 | Sea -1 (47.5) | Underdog (OVER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| XLVIII (Feb 2, 2014) | Seattle 43, Denver 8 | Den -2 (47.5) | Underdog (OVER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XLVII (Feb 3, 2013) | Baltimore 34, San Francisco 31 | SF -4.5 (48) | Underdog (OVER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| XLVI (Feb 5, 2012) | N.Y. Giants 21, New England 17 | NE -2.5 (53) | Underdog (UNDER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XLV (Feb 6 2011) | Green Bay 31, Pittsburgh 25 | GB -3 (45) | Favorite (OVER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XLIV (Feb 7, 2010) | New Orleans 31, Indianapolis 17 | IND -5 (57) | Underdog (UNDER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XLIII (Feb 1, 2009) | Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23 | PIT -7 (46) | Underdog (OVER) | AFC SU ONLY |
| XLII (Feb 3, 2008) | N.Y. Giants 17, New England 14 | NE -12 (55) | Underdog (UNDER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XLI (Feb 4, 2007) | Indianapolis 29, Chicago 17 | IND -7 (47) | Favorite (UNDER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| XL (Feb 5, 2006) | Pittsburgh 21, Seattle 10 | PIT -4 (47) | Favorite (UNDER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| XXIX (Feb 6, 2005) | New England 24, Philadelphia 21 | NE -7 (46.5) | Underdog (UNDER) | AFC SU ONLY |
| XXXVIII (Feb 1, 2004) | New England 32, Carolina 29 | NE -7 (37.5) | Underdog (OVER) | AFC SU ONLY |
| XXXVII (Jan 26, 2003) | Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21 | OAK -4 (44) | Underdog (OVER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XXXVI (Feb 3, 2002) | New England 20, St. Louis 17 | STL -14 (53) | Underdog (UNDER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| XXXV (Jan 28, 2001) | Baltimore 34, N.Y. Giants 7 | BAL -3 (33) | Favorite (OVER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| XXXIV (Jan 30, 2000) | St. Louis 23, Tennessee 16 | STL -7 (45) | Push (UNDER) | NFC SU ONLY (P) |
| XXXIII (Jan 31, 1999) | Denver 34, Atlanta 19 | DEN -7.5 (52.5) | Favorite (OVER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| XXXII (Jan 25, 1998) | Denver 31, Green Bay 24 | GB -11 (49) | Underdog (OVER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| XXXI (Jan 26, 1997) | Green Bay 35, New England 21 | GB -14 (49) | Push (OVER) | NFC SU ONLY (P) |
| XXX (Jan 28, 1996) | Dallas 27, Pittsburgh 17 | DAL -13.5 (51) | Underdog (UNDER) | NFC SU ONLY |
| XXIX (Jan 29, 1995) | San Francisco 49, San Diego 26 | SF -18.5 (53.5) | Favorite (OVER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XXVIII (Jan 30, 1994) | Dallas 30, Buffalo 13 | DAL -10.5 (50.5) | Favorite (UNDER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XXVII (Jan 31, 1993) | Dallas 52, Buffalo 17 | DAL -6.5 (44.5) | Favorite (OVER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XXVI (Jan 26, 1992) | Washington 37, Buffalo 24 | WAS -7 (49) | Favorite (OVER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XXV (Jan 27, 1991) | N.Y. Giants 20, Buffalo 19 | BUF -7 (40.5) | Underdog (UNDER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XXIV (Jan 28, 1990) | San Francisco 55, Denver 10 | SF -12 (48) | Favorite (OVER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XXIII (Jan 22, 1989) | San Francisco 20, Cincinnati 16 | SF -7 (48) | Underdog (UNDER) | NFC SU ONLY |
| XXII (Jan 31, 1988) | Washington 42, Denver 10 | DEN -3 (47) | Underdog (OVER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XXI (Jan 25, 1987) | N.Y. Giants 39, Denver 20 | NYG -9.5 (40) | Favorite (OVER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XX (Jan 26, 1986) | Chicago 46, New England 10 | CHI -10 (37.5) | Favorite (OVER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XIX (Jan 20, 1985) | San Francisco 38, Miami 16 | SF -3.5 (53.5) | Favorite (OVER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XVIII (Jan 22, 1984) | L.A. Raiders 38, Washington 9 | WAS -3 (48) | Favorite (UNDER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| XVII (Jan 30, 1983) | Washington 27, Miami 17 | MIA -3 (36.5) | Underdog (OVER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XVI (Jan 24, 1982) | San Francisco 26, Cincinnati 21 | SF -1 (48) | Favorite (UNDER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XV (Jan 25, 1981) | Oakland 27, Philadelphia 10 | PHI -3 (37.5) | Underdog (UNDER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| XIV (Jan 20, 1980) | Pittsburgh 31, L.A. Rams 19 | PIT -10.5 (36) | Favorite (OVER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| XIII (Jan 21, 1979) | Pittsburgh 35, Dallas 31 | PIT -3.5 (37) | Favorite (OVER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| XII (Jan 15, 1978) | Dallas 27, Denver 10 | DAL -6 (39) | Favorite (UNDER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| XI (Jan 9, 1977) | Oakland 34, Minnesota 14 | OAK -4 (38) | Favorite (OVER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| X (Jan 18, 1976) | Pittsburgh 21, Dallas 17 | PIT -7 (36) | Underdog (OVER) | AFC SU ONLY |
| IX (Jan 12, 1975) | Pittsburgh 16, Minnesota 6 | PIT -3 (33) | Favorite (UNDER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| VIII (Jan 13, 1974) | Miami 24, Minnesota 7 | MIA -6.5 (33) | Favorite (UNDER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| VII (Jan 14, 1973) | Miami 14, Washington 7 | MIA -1 (33) | Favorite (UNDER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| VI (Jan 16, 1972) | Dallas 24, Miami 3 | DAL -6 (34) | Favorite (UNDER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| V (Jan 17 1971) | Baltimore 16, Dallas 13 | BAL -2.5 (36) | Favorite (UNDER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| IV (Jan 11, 1970) | Kansas City 23, Minnesota 7 | MIN -12 (39) | Underdog (UNDER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| III (Jan 12, 1969) | N.Y. Jets 16, Baltimore 7 | BAL-18 (40) | Underdog (UNDER) | AFC SU & ATS |
| II (Jan 14, 1968) | Green Bay 33, Oakland 14 | GB -13.5 (43) | Favorite (OVER) | NFC SU & ATS |
| I (Jan 15, 1967) | Green Bay 35, Kansas City 10 | GB -14 |
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