Welcome to Super Bowl season, folks. Sportsbooks are now welcoming bets with open arms on everything under the sun relating to the game. Big wagers are already rolling in on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Kansas City Chiefs matchup and the excitement is mounting.
As of Wednesday, the Chiefs are 3-point favorites (FanDuel Sportsbook) to win the championship on the Buccaneers’ home turf of Raymond James Stadium. All eyes are on the odds for this showdown between Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes and how they might play out.
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To get some insight, I spoke with Dave Sharapan, a former Las Vegas oddsmaker, about the upcoming Super Bowl. And why it has the potential to make betting history.
Why do you think the Buccaneers and Brady are underdogs? Why have they been underdogs throughout the playoffs?
Sharapan: They have been underdogs because they were on the road. Usually the road team is the underdog. I’m not surprised they’re underdogs. The surprise is that they’re 3-point underdogs at home [in the Super Bowl] and people are betting the Chiefs so far.
Why is the coin toss the biggest prop bet in the Super Bowl?
Sharapan: It’s the easiest one. Everyone can have an opinion on it, it’s over in seconds, and it’s instant gratification. Prop bets have become bigger than the game itself. People put so much work into prop bets and then it comes time for the coin toss and people are laying juice. It’s unbelievable.
What is your favorite exotic bet?
Sharapan: There’s so many. I give guys a lot of credit for coming up with them. You’re going to get some fun ones. I’m not a fan of the Gatorade color ones. I like the cross-sport stuff, combining field goals with shots on goal in a hockey game. I’m intrigued by cross-sport props.
Who do you think will win the Super Bowl MVP?
Sharapan: Either Mahomes or Brady. It’s a quarterback award until someone does something extraordinary.
What are your overall thoughts on the game? Do you think any betting records will be broken?
Sharapan: It’s hard to tell with everything going on. People can’t travel as much. I hope the game lives up to the billing. It’s a long post-football offseason. It’s basketball and hockey and football is done. With a total of 56.5, I want to see some points scored. The worst thing that could happen is it’s a dud and the Under. With the total being so high and with the high-powered offenses of Mahomes and Brady, I think this will be the biggest in-game wagered game of any Super Bowl ever.
Follow Dave Sharapan on Twitter at @SportsbkConsig
Lucy is a sports betting content producer with Radio.com and BetQL. She has worked with WEEI and Radio.com as a writer, radio producer and podcaster. Lucy lives in Boston and loves Tom Brady and prop bets. Follow Lucy on Twitter at @LucilleBurdge.
