At long last, Super Bowl LIX is finally just a few days away. This year’s matchup is a familiar one, with the Philadelphia Eagles taking on the AFC West juggernauts, the Kansas City Chiefs, in a Super Bowl LVII rematch.
Traditionally, the Super Bowl is one of the best sporting events of the year for gamblers. The sports books offer a ton of prop bets on pretty much anything you can imagine. Of course, we had to get in on the action, in our last chance at betting on the NFL this year.
We will go over picks on everything; from the result of the game itself, to who will win the coin toss. Let’s get into the picks!
All lines and odds come via Draft Kings.
AFC West: Betting on the Super Bowl
Game Result Picks
Eagles Moneyline (+100)
Under 48.5 (-110)
I understand–betting against the Chiefs has been a fool’s errand both this season and in past Super Bowls, including against the Eagles. However, there are several reasons to believe that this year will be different from past matchups such as the last time these teams met in the big game.
The biggest difference, of course, is the Eagles’ addition of Saquon Barkley. The 27-year-old has emerged as the best running back in the league and taken an abundance of pressure off of quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Another key improvement for Philadelphia lies in their secondary. The Eagles are no longer getting routinely torched on big plays.
Finally, on the other side of the field, father time seems to be catching up to the Chiefs’ top offensive weapon, tight end Travis Kelce. While he is still productive, Kansas City can no longer count on him to create as many of the big plays he’s been responsible for in recent years.
These are all the ingredients the Eagles need to pull off an upset. Philadelphia must run the ball well and shorten the game. If they can keep this from becoming a shootout, Nick Sirianni‘s club should be able to grind out a win on the back of their excellent defense.
Specials and Novelty Bets
Position of Super Bowl MVP: RB/FB (+225)
Will There be an Octopus? Yes (+1300)
Will There be a Flea Flicker? Yes (+250)
Coin Toss: Heads (+100)
This is where the real fun is. These bets are what make the Super Bowl truly unique.
Our first bet here follows the game-script mentioned earlier. This is essentially a bet on Barkley to be the MVP, but with some extra insurance. Rest assured, if the Eagles win this game, it will almost certainly be due to the dominant play of their star running back.
On to some very niche in-game props.
For those that are unaware, an octopus is defined as when the same player scores a touchdown and the ensuing two-point conversion (must be immediately after). This rare feat was actually accomplished by Jalen Hurts when these teams last met in the Super Bowl.
In addition to the ‘tush push’ making Hurts an octopus threat at all times, there are plenty of other candidates such as Barkley, Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes who are prime-suspects when it comes to accomplishing such a feat. +1300 is great value for something weird, but very plausible in what should be a weird game.
Speaking of which, throw a few bucks on a flea flicker being attempted at +250. Nick Sirianni and Andy Reid are both incredibly creative coaches who will be pulling out all the stops this Sunday.
Finally, we end with the most degenerate of bets: the coin toss. There is zero logic behind this pick; just vibes and superstition. However, if you do need to justify the bet with something more than that, here is some literature on some scientific studies that back picking heads.
Enjoy the game, folks!
*Top Photo: AP Photo
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