From wager-less bets about the length of the national anthem or the color of the Gatorade bath to organized block pools, Super Bowl Sunday is a big day for betting. For sportsbooks, it’s the biggest day of the year. So, if you’re 21 or older and looking to make some responsible bets (and have read St. Joe’s Sports Wagering Policy), here are my picks for the biggest game of the year.
Eagles money line (+106)
The Kansas City Chiefs are currently favorites by a point and a half. They have a few advantages over the Philadelphia Eagles. There’s no use trying to deny that they are more well-coached and have the better quarterback. But the Eagles fare well in every other area. With a roster stacked with talent from top to bottom and the top defense in the league, I believe the Eagles have a slight edge.
Saquon Barkley any time TD scorer (-180)
Jalen Hurts any time TD scorer (-115)
Two-leg parlay (+212)
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts are the two players on the field with the best odds to score a touchdown. In the NFC championship, they each rushed for three touchdowns against the Washington Commanders. While you might not get a huge return on betting either of them separately, if you combine the picks for a two-leg parlay, you’ll certainly be earning more if it hits.
DeVonta Smith over 60 receiving yards (+134)
With the Chiefs top cornerbacks targeting wide receiver A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith will be open for some big plays for the Eagles. Last time in the Super Bowl, he had seven receptions with 100 receiving yards. Expect him to come up big for the Birds again.
George Karlaftis under 3.5 total tackles + assists (-130)
The Chiefs defensive end recorded four total tackles against the Buffalo Bills and five against the Houston Texans in the postseason. Throughout the rest of the season, he only had two games where he had more than 3.5 tackles. Don’t expect this game to be the third. The Eagles are big on explosive plays, which lends little opportunity for Karlaftis to tally up his tackle total.
Travis Kelce under 6.5 receptions (-168)
For my fellow Swifties, if you’re only watching the game for Taylor Swift but still want to get in on some of the betting, this one is for you. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has had only eight games with more than six receptions this season, including the postseason. But in every single one of his Super Bowl appearances, Kelce has recorded six or more. The last time he played the Eagles in the Super Bowl, Kelce was held to six. With a stronger Birds defense this time around, expect Kelce to be held to that number or lower, and bet the under.
Additional Predictions
Gatorade color: Blue
Orange is the most used color and was already used for an Andy Reid bath, as was purple. Yellow was used in the NFC championship for the Eagles. Blue just feels right.
Coin toss results: Heads
I’m anti-“tails never fails” philosophy.
National Anthem: Over 120.5 seconds
Jon Batiste is singing the Star Spangled Banner, a song that takes roughly 115 seconds, on average. With the eyes of the nation on him in his big moment, Batiste is sure to take the opportunity to riff, belt and do a little extra that will get him over the 120.5-second mark.
Halftime show opening song: “HUMBLE.”
“Not Like Us” is the obvious choice. It will be either a middle or ending song, but “HUMBLE.” is recognizable and has the perfect beat to serve as an opening moment for Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show featuring SZA.
Taylor Swift cam: Shown over 2.5 times
Leave my girl alone. It’s not her fault the NFL keeps showing her. Add in the fact that she grew up in Pennsylvania as an Eagles fan and that will definitely account for a little extra screen time.
