There are many big days on the sports betting calendar each year. There is the Kentucky Derby, first day of March Madness, the first Saturday of the College Football season, and the first Sunday of the NFL season. None of those days, however, compare to the Super Bowl.
There is a two-week buildup to the Super Bowl with every analyst, their mother, and their pet rock’s insurance agent sharing their opinion on the game. Meanwhile, people who are sure that they are right or want to have fun are planning to bet on the big game.
With so much interest and so many sportsbooks, these operators are competing for bettors. That is why you need to pick the best Super Bowl betting sites.
Below, I go over the best super bowl betting sites and what to look for.
Benefits of Online Betting for Super Bowl 2024
The biggest benefit that comes from betting on football is that it is a lot of fun when done responsibly. Football is an exciting sport, and having a team to root for makes it that much better.
When you have skin in the game, the football game that you are watching becomes much more compelling. This is especially the case in lopsided games that are typically boring to watch.
With betting, those boring games become exciting. For betting online rather than betting in person, there are several benefits.
The biggest plus is the convenience: You can bet at any time of the day and anywhere that mobile sports betting is legal. If you have an internet connection or cell reception, you can bet — and you can wager on lines before and during the Super Bowl.
This comes in handy especially if you’re watching the game in the comfort of your own seat. Live betting on the Super Bowl expands the opportunities you have to lay a wager on a game you’re intensely watching. You can find value where the sportsbooks might not see it yet.
Other benefits of betting on football online include access to promotions, a larger selection of bet types, and live streaming of games.
Best Super Bowl Betting Sites
Caesars Sportsbook
The best betting site for the Super Bowl is Caesars Sportsbook. Not only is it available in virtually every state with legal sports betting, but the user experience is fantastic.
With hundreds of bets that can be made on the big game, they can be easily found on the app. Either by hitting the search bar in the Super Bowl betting page, or by finding the right column, it is easy to find what you are looking for.
For the sign-up bonuses, Caesars typically has a bet insurance offer for the Super Bowl where your first bet is insured up to $1250. Additionally, there are many boosted bets that are offered for the big game as well.
Lastly, if you like going to Casinos in person, users of the Caesars app are rewarded points that can be redeemed on the app or on Caesars properties. Additionally, if you get enough tier credits, you can get a high enough status at Caesars where you receive free room offers.
Based on my play on the Caesars app, I am a Diamond Plus member at Caesars meaning that at Caesars properties I usually only have to pay the $8 in taxes on comped rooms. The resort fees, parking, and meals, are all covered by my Caesars status.
FanDuel Sportsbook
There is a reason why FanDuel has the biggest betting handle among US regulated sportsbooks. It is a great app.
FanDuel has arguably the largest selection of player props among legal sportsbooks, which is why it is one of my favorite apps for the Super Bowl. Prop betting to the Super Bowl is to what stuffing is to Thanksgiving. You might be able to have Thanksgiving without the stuffing, but it wouldn’t be an enjoyable holiday.
For the 2022 Super Bowl, FanDuel had live player props for the big game. They also typically have prop bets that can’t be found at other sportsbooks.
For new users, FanDuel has a sign-up promotion where you are awarded $150 in free bets if you bet $5. If you don’t have a FanDuel account, you can’t go wrong with signing up for one.
DraftKings Sportsbook
Batman is to Robin what the DraftKings is to FanDuel. Even though they are both separate companies, they are the two largest sportsbooks in the US.
In the past for the Super Bowl specifically, DraftKings has had intriguing sign-up offers. These have included doubling your money up to $50 if a touchdown is scored, profit boosts, or (+300) moneyline odds on either side. For Super Bowl 57 betting offers, I am excited for what DK has in store.
Outside of their Super Bowl promotions, DK has two offers for first-time depositors. You can either get the DraftKings Bet $5 Get $200 in bonus bets or get a 20% deposit bonus up to $1000.
For the $200 free bet offer, it is important to use your free bets optimally, as you only get the profit for your wins and not your initial stake. That means that if you bet $100 in free bets on a (-1000) favorite, you will only get back $10 if the bet wins and not your $100 stake back. For a +1000 bet like a first touchdown scorer, you will net $1000 if your $100 free bet wins.
Prophet Exchange
The Prophet Exchange is a new disruptor in the sports betting landscape. It is one of the only sportsbooks that makes money off of winners.
This is because the users of the app are betting against each other rather than with the sportsbook. If you want to bet on a -200 favorite, someone else has to match your bet with a +200 underdog bet.
After your bet wins, Prophet takes a 2% cut off your profits. So if you bet $200 on a -200 favorite that wins, you net $98 and not $100. This is much better than the typical sportsbook that has a 4-6% commission built into moneyline and spread pricing.
The one drawback for the Super Bowl with Prophet is that the betting options are relatively limited, but this drawback is outweighed by the better payouts being offered on the app. For Super Bowl 57, I am looking forward to what promotions Prophet will be offering.
BetMGM Sportsbook
In a sea of Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel, BetMGM is quietly one of the bigger sportsbooks. Most states with legal sports betting apps have BetMGM available.
For the Super Bowl specifically, BetMGM in the past has offered 100-1 odds on either team. This meant that for every dollar bet on your team in the Super Bowl, you would have received $100. Unfortunately, the most that you could have bet on this promo was only $1.
For a more lucrative sign-up offer, BetMGM offers a generous sign-up bonus in the form of a bet insurance offer for up to $1000. The way bet insurance (or a risk-free bet) works is that you can bet up to the maximum amount, which in the case of BetMGM is up to $1000. If your bet loses, you get your bet back in the form of a free bet. If your bet wins, you win a large sum of money.
This could be a bet on anything from the color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach, the winner of the game, the result of the coin toss, the first touchdown of the game, and more. The only requirement for BetMGM’s bet insurance offer is that you deposit at least $10.
BetRivers Sportsbook
BetRivers, in my opinion, is one of the more underrated sportsbooks, as they have a wide selection of bets including player props, game props, and more. Additionally, for minor sports, they offer live streaming of games.
For new users, BetRivers Sportsbook offers a “2nd chance bet" bet up $500 which is their term for their risk-free bet offer. Additionally for existing users, BetRivers frequently has deposit reload promotions for big events like the Super Bowl.
Bet365 Sportsbook
If you live in a legal sports betting state, chances are you have seen the TV ad featuring Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad mentioning that bet365 is the world’s most popular sportsbook. Not only is he right about bet365, but the site also has a great sign-up offer.
In the past, bet365 has not had a Super Bowl specific sign-up offer, but their general sign-up offer is generous.
Specifically for the Super Bowl in 2022, bet365 had live player props on the big game. I could bet on passing yards for each quarterback, rushing yards for each running back, and next touchdown scorer during the game.
PointsBet
PointsBet, as an Australian Sportsbook, is a relative newcomer to the American market. What PointsBet is known for specifically is their PointsBetting product, where you are rewarded or punished based on how right or how wrong you are on a bet.
For example, if you bet $10 on Under 52 points and 39 points are scored, you win $130. Similarly, if 70 points are scored, you lose $180.
If PointsBetting isn’t your thing, PointsBet still offers traditional fixed odds betting.
For new users in all states, PointsBet offers up to $500 in second chance bets in the form of five $100 bets that are insured.
How To Pick the Best Super Bowl Betting Sites
User Interface
One of the most important things to look for in an NFL betting app is an appealing user interface. The key to finding a good interface is making sure that the app does not have frequent technical issues. Nothing is worse than being unable to log into your app before kickoff or being unable to find the bet type that you are looking for.
Odds
Odds are (no pun intended) that in the long run, you will not be a winning NFL bettor. However, as an NFL bettor, you want to have the best chance of winning or at least limiting your losses. The best way to win is to have the best odds available for betting.
If you are betting $100 weekly on a (-105) line as opposed to a (-110) line, you should only expect to lose $85.86 over the course of a full season as opposed to $171.72.
Promotions
Based on the odds not being in your favor, as a recreational sports bettor you should look for the best promotions when picking a sportsbook.
In the past, PointsBet has offered (+100) lines on NFL spreads during select time periods, meaning that your expected loss on those spreads is $0. This includes during the Super Bowl as well as during the regular season.
Other sites offer odds boosts on specific events, or sites like BetRivers will give you custom odds boosts that you can use on any bet of your choosing. The key is picking a site that offers Super Bowl promotions that are favorable to the bettor rather than the sportsbook.
Signup Bonuses
Just like when you go to a casino and they give you free rooms if you play long enough, sports betting sites give away bonuses just for signing up. These bonuses can range from free bets, matched free bets, matched deposit bonuses, and risk-free bets.
Bet Types
Many sportsbooks offer hundreds of different betting options on each NFL game because their customers love it. For the Super Bowl, sportsbooks tend to offer thousands of bets. As a bettor, you do not have to just bet on the moneyline, spread, or point total.
You can also bet on a player’s stats, which team scores first, the number of field goals, as well as plenty of other proposition bets. One of your biggest advantages as a sports bettor is that you do not have to bet on everything, but sportsbooks must offer a line on virtually everything.
Best Super Bowl Bets You Can Make
There are thousands of bets available on the Super Bowl. However, most of them are hard to beat.
For bets like the color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach, the sportsbook has a larger edge on those bets than traditional wagers like the moneyline and spread. Additionally, the popular wagers like spread, totals, and money lines are hard to beat because it is a liquid market with people betting millions of dollars on a side.
Here are my recommendations on what you should bet for the Super Bowl.
Player Prop Unders
You can bet on a player’s Super Bowl stats in the form of a player prop wager. I like to focus on player props with an Over/Under, such as the amount of passing or rushing yards a player has.
Strategically, I believe Unders are the best bet because bettors like to root for players, rather than root against them. Players can get injured in the game, or they could just underperform.
Coin Toss
If you know nothing about the Super Bowl, your best bet is to bet on the pre-kickoff coin flip.
Even though spreads are designed to be a coin clip, the literal coin flip to start the game has the lowest house advantage of all Super Bowl bets as both sides typically have (-105) odds or better.
Sometimes, sportsbooks offer +100 on both sides of the Super Bowl coin flip.
Game Props
Betting on if there will be a two-point conversion, safety, or the number of field goals is a fun wager that is possible to win if you do your homework.
For example, if you determine that one team is likely to struggle in the red zone, betting that team’s Over on total field goals might be a better angle than betting on the under.
Live Betting on the Super Bowl
With legal mobile sports betting, you can bet at your fingertips during the game. With changing odds and many options, here is what you should keep in mind:
Timing
Sportsbooks have quicker data feeds than TV, and as a result, they know what happens slightly before you do. That is why I like to place my live bets only during commercial breaks or at halftime.
Strategy
You want to determine what each team’s strategy is during the game. If a team is ahead in the Super Bowl and it’s the fourth quarter, they probably want to run the ball.
This may mean that the Under is a good bet as each running play completed in bounds keeps the clock running.
If a team is behind and they have a good passing game, you might want to bet on that team as they have the right strategy for claiming the lead.
Injuries
Watch out for injuries in the game. Sometimes, live betting models don’t properly price betting markets based on in-game injuries.
Betting Site Offers During the Super Bowl
These are the types of Super Bowl betting bonuses you should look out for when the time comes:
No Deposit Bonus/Free Bet
As a sports bettor, I have not seen many no-deposit bonus offers, but obviously, they are beneficial to the bettor. In exchange for signing up for a sportsbook account, the app will give you a free bet without the requirement of making a deposit.
Theoretically, this is good for the bettor, but the problem is that the no-deposit bonuses are tiny. Typically, the no-deposit bonus is only for a $25 free bet, and that is why usually no-deposit bonuses are offered in addition to other sign-up bonuses that are much better for the bettor in terms of the size of the bonus.
First-Time Deposit Bonus
Deposit bonuses are common and easy to understand.
As a bonus, you make a deposit and a percentage of it is matched. These offers aren’t being offered as frequently as they used to be offered, so when they appear for the Super Bowl, it is worth taking a look.
Risk-Free Bet
Risk-free bets are the most common welcome offer on Super Bowl betting sites. The name of risk-free bets might be changing, but the essence remains the same.
While risk-free bets are good for the customer, in my opinion, their name is misleading as it sounds as they are risk-reduced bets rather than completely risk-free.
The way a risk-free bet works is that up to a certain amount, usually at least $100 and up to $1000, if your first bet loses you are rewarded with credit. Typically, that credit is rewarded in the form of one single free bet, which cannot be broken up.
If that free bet loses, then you lose your whole risk-free bet. That is why I prefer to use the term “risk reduced": It’s reducing the risk of your bet but not eliminating it.
Bet & Get
Bet and get bonus offers are great as the terms are as simple as the name. If you make a bet, you get a bonus at a football betting site. For the Super Bowl, specialized bet and get offers are more common than usual.
One negative toward bet and get offers is that $200 in free bets is different from $200 in a deposit bonus. This is because typically, with a $200 bonus, you get your stake back in addition to your winnings, whereas for $200 in free bets, you only get your winnings but not your stake.
For example, if you bet on a (+100) money line with a $200 bonus, you would get $400 if your bet wins — your stake plus your winnings. However, if you did the same with a $200 free bet or free credit, you would only get $200 in winnings but only if your bet wins.
For the Super Bowl specifically, if you have a bet and get offer (such as betting $1 and getting $200 if a point is scored), it is a great way to build your bankroll with virtually no money.
Where Can I Legally Bet on the Super Bowl Online?
Current Legal Online Betting Locations
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Montana (in-person online)
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Future Legal Online Betting States
- Maine
- Massachusetts
Why You Should Avoid Illegal Betting Sites During the Super Bowl
Lack of Reliable Banking Options
The best reason to steer clear of illegal betting sites is that it is hard to deposit money and even harder to withdraw.
Due to banking regulations, banks cannot accept money from offshore gaming sites. As a result, bettors must rely on cryptocurrency transactions or getting charged exorbitant fees for using a credit card.
In addition to having a tough time depositing money, it is even harder to withdraw money. Illegal betting sites often have burdensome rollover requirements for bonuses, and they do not always timely process withdrawal requests.
Additionally, if you receive cryptocurrency as payment, you run the risk of losing money just by holding your money due to the volatility of crypto markets.
Lack of Trust
One benefit of regulated sportsbooks is that they must answer to regulatory bodies to keep their license. If one of the DC mobile sportsbooks stiffs you on payment, you can file a complaint. If an offshore sportsbook stiffs you on payment, then you have no legal recourse.
Poor User Interface
Illegal betting sites often have a poor user interface due to the amount of investment a strong interface requires. As a result, illegal betting sites typically do not offer mobile betting apps and as a result, you must navigate a webpage that could have a confusing labyrinth of options.
How Many People Bet on the Super Bowl Each Year?
According to the American Gaming Association, 31.4 million Americans wager on the Super Bowl each year. In states with legal sports betting, $486 million was bet on the Super Bowl in 2021.
When you add in money that was bet offshore or with neighborhood bookies, $7.6 billion is the estimated total money bet on the Super Bowl annually.
Choose More Than One Super Bowl Betting Site
The best thing that any football bettor can do to limit the sportsbook’s advantage is to use multiple betting apps. Different sites offer different betting odds and as a result, you can get the best price by shopping around for the best odds.
For example, on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, the Indianapolis Colts were heavily favored against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
On PointsBet, The Colts were favored by 15.5 points, while on BetMGM, the Colts were favored by only 14 points. The final score was Colts 28, Jaguars 14.
If you had bet on Indianapolis on PointsBet, then you would have lost. However, if you bet on Indy on BetMGM, then you would have gotten your bet back in a push.
Super Bowl Squares Betting 2024
Another popular game people like to play for the Big Game is Super Bowl Squares template.
In this type of game, those who join are given a random number 0-9 on the X and Y-axis of a 100-box table. The X-axis represents one team in the Super Bowl, and the Y-axis represents the other team.
Winners are determined by looking at the final digit of each of the team’s scores, and awarding prizes to the owner of the box that represents the pairing of both values.
SB57 square contest prize winners are decided at the end of the 1st quarter, halftime, the end of the 3rd quarter, and the end of the game.
Many sportsbooks have hopped onto this trend by creating Super Bowl Squares odds betting, which offer NFL bettors odds on which squares will hit in the final score.
