Super Bowl XLIV: Will the Big Game Blindside Sportsbooks?

There isn’t a single day sporting event anywhere on the planet that can back up its “BIG GAME” status like the Super Bowl. The sheer wagering numbers alone prove the magnitude of this game. This year, Superbowl XLIV in Miami, Florida on February 7 promises an explosive match-up between not only the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints, but also bettors and sportsbooks. Bet on the world-class event at Bodog or BetUS and remember, putting money on anything from the coin toss to half-time anomalies does add spice to the game!

Since the Nevada Gaming Commission started keeping stats in 1991 there has been $1,381,390,158 wagered on the Super Bowl in Nevada land-based sportsbooks. Over that span of time, the books have recorded a profit of $107,415,304. And that’s just in land-based books, if only we knew those details for offshore sportsbooks too!

Land-based or offshore, the books versus bettors record is heavily slanted in favor of the books. During the 19 years on record, the books have lost on Super Bowl Sunday just twice. In 2008, they lost $2,573,103 when the New York Giants ended the New England Patriots run to perfection with a stunning 17-14 win as 12-point dogs in Super Bowl XLII. In 1995 the San Francisco 49ers crushed the San Diego Chargers 49-29 as 18.5-point favorites in Super Bowl XI. The books paid out $396,674 when they couldn’t raise the number high enough to get enough action backing the Chargers.

Super Bowl XIII featuring the Pittsburg Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys is known as Black Sunday in the gaming industry. Though no one knows exactly how much the Nevada books lost on that game, it was probably a record loss by the percentages. The line opened at Steelers -1.5 and moved up as high as -5 at many Casinos during the days leading up the game. Though the number closed at -3.5 many bettors were able to wager on both sides of the game. The 4-point margin of victory by the Steelers (21-17) caused the books to lose on both sides.

The books posted a record handle in 2006 as $94,534,372 was wagered on Super Bowl XL when the Steelers faced the Seattle Seahawks. The $81,514,748 wagered on the Steelers vs. the Arizona Cardinals in last years Super Bowl XLIII was the lowest handle on a Super Bowl since 2004 ($81,242,191 – Patriots/Panthers).

The books recorded a record profit on Super Bowl XXXIX back in 2005. The Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 but failed to cover the seven-point spread. Chowder Nation must have been backing their Patriots because the books pocketed $15,430,138 on that game.

When the Colts faced the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI back in 2007 the handle was $93,067,358 and the books took down a profit of $12,930,175. Despite the economy, Super Bowl XLIV is loaded with star power and very well could challenge the all time record handle.

The question remains, where will your money be for this historic event, aka the Super Bowl XLIV featuring the Indianapolis Colts vs the New Orleans Saints? With so many different sports betting options, the choices are nearly endless. Bodog Online Sportsbook currently places Indianapolis as 5- point favorites in SuperBowl XLIV a very appealing line. And seeing as they are one of the books most highly recommended by Sportsbook Review, you can trust them to add some spice to what will already be an exciting Superbowl Sunday!