Super Bowl Sunday is a huge day for chicken wings, guacamole and tortilla chips.
Also, gambling.
The largest sports gambling event of the year, more than $158.5 million was wagered legally at Nevada sportsbooks on the big game last year.
Some are anticipating that the overall amount bet on this year’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will be even higher.
As of now, the Chiefs are favored by a point in Super Bowl that, thus far, has a historically close line. Originally a pick ’em, the only reason the line has moved in Kansas City’s favor is because of the presence of game-breaking quarterback Patrick Mahomes on the roster of the Chiefs.
The reigning league MVP, Mahomes has 11 touchdowns and no interceptions in four playoff games, giving him the highest QB rating in postseason history since the NFL merger.
“What I saw that makes Kansas City favored is Patrick Mahomes is the best player in the NFL,” said Westgate SuperBook director John Murray. “The public is going to want to bet on Mahomes.”
In addition to bets on the outcome of the game, sportsbooks will be offering a plethora of prop bets, many of which will be related to Kansas City’s 24-year-old phenom.
“We might have a record number of props on Mahomes,” said William Hill sportsbook director Nick Bogdanovich. “It will be all Mahomes. But the San Francisco defense is stout. That’s why this matchup is so good.”
According to ESPN, favorites are 26-25-2 against the spread in Super Bowl history and overs are 26-25-1 (no over/under for Super Bowl I).
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