The NFL has given the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs two weeks to prepare for Super Bowl LVII, but that also gives bettors extra time to consider all factors before placing Super Bowl wagers.
That includes the officiating crew for Super Bowl LVII, which was announced in January. Carl Cheffers will preside as head official over the big game, his third such honor, and of the eight officials chosen, five have called Super Bowls in the past.
What will Cheffers’ impact be on the game? That remains to be seen, but here’s a look at how the officiating may affect how we bet on Super Bowl LVII.
See how you can use NFL referee data from Cheffers’ crew to make the best plays with our Super Bowl odds.
Super Bowl 2023 Referee Crew
- Crew Chief: Carl Cheffers
- Umpire: Roy Ellison
- Down Judge: Jerod Phillips
- Line Judge: Jeff Bergman
- Field Judge: John Jenkins
- Side Judge: Eugene Hall
- Back Judge: Dino Paganelli
- Replay Official: Mark Butterworth
Keep up with the latest Chiefs vs Eagles lines heading into Super Bowl Sunday
Carl Cheffers Refereed Game Betting Trends
- Average Total Points Scored : 42.5
- Average Total Penalties: 12.6
- Average Penalty Yards: 109.9
Cheffers is one of the most seasoned NFL referees, officiating more than 360 games starting as a side judge in 2000 before becoming a head official, which he’s been since 2008. This will be his third Super Bowl, which will make him the only active referee to preside over that many championship games.
The officiating crew is made up of the best of the best and has loads of experience. Every official has called more than 140 games, and four members of the crew have surpassed 300 career games.
✅ Read the best ways to bet on The Big Game with our Super Bowl 57 predictions.
Cheffers is an active official in terms of penalties called. His crew whistled 1.5 penalties above average for an extra 18 penalty yards per game vs the average crew and has been at or above average in terms of penalties for the past five seasons. As a result, 10 of Cheffers’ 17 games officiated went Under their pregame total.
He also has the most unique third-down signal of any head official, so be sure to take note of that.
Super Bowl Referee Betting Tips
More Penalties = Fewer Points
Unless the calls go entirely against the defense, penalties lead to lost yards, and lost yards require more time for the offense to score.
Seven of Cheffers’ 17 games called went Over, including the 73-point game between Dallas and Indianapolis in December. But he also called the lowest-scoring game of the season, the 10-3 Patriots vs Jets game on Nov. 20, though there were only three accepted penalties in that game.
The Over/Under is high, the Eagles have an exceptional defense and the official in charge likes to throw flags. Consider that when determining your Over/Under bets.
A shrewd NFL pick of the day could involve a sprinkle on an alternate total:
Cheffers, Historically, Helps the Home Team
This may matter less since the Super Bowl is played in Glendale, Ariz. at a neutral site, but home teams had a .588 win percentage in games called by Cheffers and his crew this season.
He called 20 fewer penalties over 17 games on the home team than on the visitors in 2022, and home teams had a 10-7 record in his games this season.
If it matters to you, the Eagles are the home team for Super Bowl LVII.
More Super Bowl Ref Data
- The past six Super Bowls have had 10.3 penalties per game for an average of 80.3 yards. Cheffers has officiated two Super Bowls in that span, and they’ve featured an average of 14 penalties for 123.5 penalty yards per game.
- Cheffers called the Chiefs’ most recent Super Bowl appearance, a 31-9 loss to the Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV. Kansas City was cited for 11 fouls for 120 yards in that game, the third-most penalty yards by one team in Super Bowl history.
- The Chiefs set a Super Bowl record by giving Tampa Bay nine first downs by penalty in the game, and Cheffers’ crew set a five-year high of 15 fouls for a whopping 159 yards in Tampa Bay’s 31-9 win.
- In Cheffers’ other Super Bowl appearance, he called 13 penalties for 88 yards, including nine penalties and 65 yards on Atlanta in its 34-28 overtime loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl LI on Feb. 5, 2017.