Since 2018, when the U.S. Supreme Court released a ruling that sparked widespread expansion of legalized betting, more than $300 billion has been bet with American sportsbooks.
Throw in a dream matchup — or a nightmare for us Cincinnati Bengals fans or non Swifties — of the San Francisco 49ers, 12-5, against the Kansas City Chiefs, 11-6, at Allegiant Stadium in Super Bowl LVIII, and you see why wagering is expected to set all-time records.
For those looking to wager legally on tonight’s Super Bowl (6:30 p.m., CBS), there are sports books at casinos in Monroe, Dayton and Cincinnati.
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
There are hundreds of different wagers available, but the easiest to understand are the straight-up bets. Who will win the game? How many total points will be scored? Who will be named MVP?
There also are wagers related to Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, some guy who plays tight end for the Chiefs. Travis Kelce is listed as even to score a touchdown, meaning for every $1 bet, you get back $2 for winning.
Of course, there are exotic wagers, too. One person in Las Vegas reportedly placed a six-figure bet on the coin toss. Obviously, he couldn’t wait until the game started.
Casinos in Ontario, Canada, are offering bets related to Usher’s halftime show and what will be his first song. “My Way” is the favorite.
“Purple” is the clear-cut favorite to be the color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach.
There are no wagers available whether Swift will be shown cheering on the Chiefs inside her suite. Las Vegas wasn’t built on sure things.
RICK’S PICKS FOR SUPER BOWL LVIII
Here are some of my Super Bowl predictions. These are for entertainment purposes only.
Kansas City plus 2.5 points: I love getting the Chiefs and points. No quarterback in the Super Bowl era has been better as an underdog than Patrick Mahomes. His 10-1-1 record against the spread as an underdog is the best mark of any qualified passer in that span.
Over 47.5 points: I know both defensive coordinators have had two weeks to prepare for the high-powered offenses, but I still expect a shootout.
Over 1.5 interceptions: While there will lots of rushing in this game, there also will be plenty of passing, too. The defensive backs are ball hawks, so I expect to see at least two combined interceptions.
Rushing TD for Christian McCaffrey: His odds are minus 225 to score a touchdown, the shortest odds of any player. He has scored a TD in 15 of his last 18 games.
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