When it comes to Major Wagers, no single-day event is more attractive to bettors than the Super Bowl. In fact, “Super Bowl biggest bets” is a common Google search term, such is the interest in big plays on the Big Game. And if you want to know more about those bets, you’ve come to the right place, as Covers tracks these wagers up until kickoff on Feb. 7.
The latest entry reported in this category is the largest by far. BetMGM on Jan. 28 took a massive $2.3 million bet on the Buccaneers +3.5 (-115). Should Tampa Bay cover, the bettor would win a cool $2 million. “Money right now is 12/1 on the Bucs, just because of that bet,” BetMGM Nevada’s Jeff Stoneback said of the disparity in point-spread money on the Super Bowl.
Too often, people assume that the biggest bets on the Super Bowl come from sharp bettors. However, that’s almost never the case. In almost all instances, these bets come from high-rolling customers whom sportsbooks/casinos are willing to extend a much higher betting limit.
That’s not to say some of these bettors aren’t informed about their plays. But they’re not seen in the same light as professional bettors. Perhaps the best indication of that so far for Super Bowl 55 comes in the form of that aforementioned $2.3 million wager on Bucs +3.5 (-115) at BetMGM. Even after that bet landed, and even though it put BetMGM Nevada in a spot where there’s now 12 times more Tampa point-spread money, the line remained Bucs +3.5 (-115), not moving so much as a nickel on the price.
Sharp play, on the other hand, often will move the needle on far smaller bets, leading to an adjustment on the number and/or the price, depending on the type of bet. Even one wager from a respected player can move the number. For example, after The SuperBook posted Super Bowl odds on Jan. 24, the total initially moved from 57 to 57.5. Then sharp play – perhaps as relatively nominal as $1,000 – came in on Under 57.5 and Under 57, and the book quickly dropped to 56.5.
“It’s not about the dollar amount,” SuperBook executive director John Murray said. “It’s about the customer who bet it.”
