The odds for the 2018 Super Bowl are in and they’re in favour of the Philadelphia Eagles winning big. Bookmakers have installed the defending NFC-champion Eagles as the clear favourites at some oddsmakers. Will they live up to the high expectations? Let’s take a quick look at the odds and see.
Eagles Versus Patriots Odds
The Patriots took down the favourites Dallas Cowboys in the AFC championship game last weekend, winning 22-21 in overtime. The two-time defending champs are now 1/4 to win the big game. It’s fair to assume that people who placed large bets on the Patriots during the season have been extremely lucky, as the underdogs rallied back to beat the favourite Eagles 20-18 in Week 17. Those who backed the underdogs and won their bets will now enjoy the sweet taste of revenge.
On the other side, the Eagles had a fairly uneventful regular season. They barely made it into the playoffs as one of the last four teams in the NFC. The Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers had already locked up their spots in the Super Bowl. The NFC championship was on the road to Philly, as the Eagles needed a last-second win to advance to the big game. They prevailed 20-18 and earned themselves a trip to the Super Bowl.
With the Falcons and Buccaneers out of the way, it’s time for the Eagles to make their move. The road to the Super Bowl goes through Philadelphia. Odds makers have not been kind to the visitors.
Super Bowl 2018 Odds Chart
The chart above shows the odds from a number of reputable sportsbooks. It compares the Patriots (NFCE), Eagles (NFC), and Rams (NFCW) to make a clear picture of where the public thinks the game will go. The difference in odds between these three teams is quite substantial, with the Eagles being the clear favourites. As a general rule, one should always bet on the underdog in a championship game, as they are more often than not, the team you’ll hit big if you’re betting smart. That’s what happened last week, but this year it’s looking like the favourite Eagles will pull off an upset and shock the football world.
Money-Back Guarantee
While most books will give you the option of a money-back guarantee if the predicted score of the Super Bowl doesn’t come to pass, some will go one step further and give you your money back with no questions asked. It’s a nice touch, but not something you see every day. If you’re looking for an edge in the game, consider betting on the underdogs. Money-back guarantees are often a sign that the bookmaker thinks the stated odds are likely to be wrong. In extreme cases, this may be because they have a vested interest in the game going in a certain direction. Still, it’s generally a good idea to take advantage of this offer and make some risky bets on the biggest stories in sports.
Early Action
Early action is available at many online bookmakers, providing you can find a market for it. The early bird can sometimes get the worm, and in this case it’s looking like a large number of people are putting down early bets on the Eagles. The fact that they’re willing to bet at all is a solid indication of just how badly these odds need to be bettered. If you’re looking to get in on the action and put some money on the winner before the masses do, now is the perfect time to act.
Over/Under
The over/under represents the total number of points that may be scored in the game. This is determined by adding up the point spreads for each half and then taking the overage. For example, if the spread is 45 points and there are two-and-a-half hours left in the third quarter, you’d stake $100 on an over and keep staking money until the over/under is reached. If you bet the over, you win if the game goes over the total; if you bet the under, you win if the game goes under the total. There’s also a variant of this bet called the “point-spread over/under”, where you have to stake $100 on either the over or under instead of just one selection. This way you’re not betting on which team will score the most points, you’re just betting on which side of the spread the game will finish on. It’s a smart move when you compare it to betting on the favourite, as you remove the element of luck from the equation. This type of bet is best when there’s a clear favourite and there’s no clear-cut underdog, as it takes the fun out of picking which team will win and puts it in choosing which side of the spread you think the game will end on. If you want to make a bold prediction and are looking for a money-back guarantee, go for the over or under rather than the favourite or against.
Side Betting
Side betting is available at many books, presenting you with two options for each game: the favourite and an underdog. These are the two teams you’d typically put your money on if you were just entering the rivalry, as they’re the teams most likely to benefit from your support. For instance, if the Patriots are 1/2 to win the Super Bowl and you want to take a side bet, you’d lay off the Eagles and put your money on the Patriots. However, if you think that the underdogs, the Falcons in this case, will pull off an upset and win the game, you have another option: lay off the Patriots and put your money on the Falcons.
The upside with side betting is that you can make smaller bets than normal, as the total amount you’re wagering is usually less than the full price of a standard bet. The downside is that it often limits your choice of teams, as you can only put your money on two teams instead of three or four. If you like having more options, then traditional bets are the way to go.
Pro-Bowlers
The Super Bowl is a game that often features the top stars from the previous season. These are the players who enjoyed the most success over the course of the regular season and were able to translate that success to the big stage. As a result, the odds of these elite players performing well in the Super Bowl are usually very high. There’s a reason why many books make this selection their clear favourite.
In fact, the odds of these players performing well in the Super Bowl can be used to create an indicator of how successful they’ll be in the big game. Take, for example, Antonio Brown of the Steelers. He opened as a 5/1 shot to score a touchdown or an 11/4 shot to rush for 100 yards in the Super Bowl. Those who are looking for a way to play small-games in sportsbooks then take a shot on these odds and win. The fact that Brown opened so high is a good indication of how important the Super Bowl is to him and his fellow Pittsburgh players.
Publicity
Odds makers and sportbooks love a bandwagon. As soon as one team starts to dominate another, the odds usually get altered to reflect this. What’s interesting is that this isn’t always the case, as you’ll commonly see one team’s odds increase even when they’re behind in the standings. This is usually the result of a team winning a big game and the odds makers trying to make a name for themselves by backing the winners. In this case, it’s the Rams headed to New Orleans for the Super Bowl. The odds for the Super Bowl jumped by 5/2 after the Rams shocked the football world by upsetting the heavily favoured Saints. It’s always good to see the underdog do well, as this increases the chance of you hitting a winning streak.
Line Movements
The Super Bowl line moves a lot, mostly because of the sheer volume of bets that are placed on it. Most books will update the line once or twice during the game, either to fix mistakes or to accommodate more bets. In some cases, the line will move so much that it becomes difficult to predict what the betting totals will be at any given moment. This is why it’s important to check the betting lines before placing large wagers, as they can change faster than you think and leave you vulnerable to large losses if you don’t keep up.