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The Super Bowl has been around for decades and is continually enjoyed by its avid fans. Those many games played throughout the years have made history for both the teams and betting fans. Currently going into its 55th championship game this season, teams qualified for the playoffs will try to acquire a solid spot for the championship.
Historical records and bets have characterized previous Super Bowl spread games. They can be used as a reference for future championship games, besides evaluating each potential team’s capabilities and performances, of course. Patterns may be seen across all Super Bowl games and could occur for this season’s game.
Some tips may be of service to any fan who wants to have an edge in bets going into the Super Bowl, no matter how long they have been betting for.
Listed down are some things related to previous Super Bowl games that are worth taking note of when optimizing your point spread predictions in betting on this year’s Super Bowl game.
Point Spread History and Patterns
Throughout Super Bowl history, games played have usually ended with varying results. Some games have the same results as past games. A notable example of similar occurrences in games would be Super Bowl 48 between the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos and Super Bowl 50 between the Broncos and Carolina Panthers.
The 2014 Broncos and the 2016 Panthers looked like the favorites going into the Super Bowl. Of course, most bets were going into their favor, although allotted with a smaller point spread than initially thought. These games were the same before the game and were the same in-game: both games’ underdogs came out as both bouts’ winners.
Other games involve rematches from similar teams, creating long-term rivalries between them. Some rematches end up having results that favor either team or more one than the other, making point spread predictions for rematch games relatively easier.
Patterns created within NFL’s Super Bowl history include underdogs’ numerous comeback wins, expected stomps from favored teams, multiple appearances from specific teams, and the mentioned repeated rematches from rival teams. Being familiar with these patterns may help in making a reliable prediction.
Performance Consistency
The performances of qualified teams are to be accounted for going into the Super Bowl. Favorites are referred as such for their outstanding performance from the regular season leading up to the championship game. They are mostly expected to win the Super Bowl convincingly, given that they have done so thus far.
There are instances when pre-Super Bowl performance doesn’t carry on to the game itself, especially for the favorites. For bets to be won, their favored teams, either one, should put up their best performances in the game. The problem comes when the favorites play horribly, or the underdogs can pull an upset on them.
To ensure that your bets are worth the money, picking a team you feel would perform consistently going into the Super Bowl would be recommended. Personal preference ends up being used for these bets.
Consider Performance with Point Spreads
Registering point spreads are based mainly on teams’ performance going into the Super Bowl. When a team is mainly dominant during the regular season and the previous playoff games, it’s reasonable to bet on them with a large-enough point spread, believing that they would win with a wide margin against the opposing team.
However, it is not uncommon to have comeback wins or dominating games by underdogs against the favored teams, as mentioned before. This is probably why double-digit point spreads are not as typical as before, as it poses a considerable risk when underdog wins are highly likely.
An argument can be made for registering whether big or small point spreads, but it ultimately ends up according to the bettor’s opinions, insight, and preference. Results for these games can go either way, after all.
In Between Favorites and Underdogs
Another thing to consider is whether to bet on the favorites or the underdogs. As mentioned, teams are considered favorites for their outstanding performance going into the final game of the season. But, it was not always the favorites hailed as champions because of the underdogs’ excellent gameplay.
Of course, there is also the expected outcome of the favorites mounting a convincing win against the underdogs. So far, the recorded win ratio between the favorites and underdogs for Super Bowl games is 29-23, respectively.
Again, this back-and-forth outcome would be decided with personal preference when considering the teams’ condition before the Super Bowl. Both teams have their own strengths that possibly give them an edge over other teams, after all.
Takeaway
Many championship games have been played throughout NFL history. Each of them yielded either similar or different results from other games, both in-game and in bets. Some games are seen to have some pattern, or notable succession, for bets to be effective upon placement.
Analyzing previous Super Bowl games can be used to make reliable predictions for future games and may pay off eventually in significant ways.
