The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t won a playoff game since 1993. Jamaal Charles was six years old when they did. What’s more, they’ve only qualified for a single postseason dating all the way back to 2007, yet somehow have burst out of the gates with an unbeaten mark here in 2013. Naturally this has left the NFL betting community a little confused when it comes to Super Bowl online betting.
The NFL Haves and Have Nots
Figuring out just how to bet on the Super Bowl can be a tricky thing – on one hand we always want to be careful not to overlook the ever-changing power landscape that is professional football, but on the other, perennial juggernauts are often perennial juggernauts for a reason. Now somebody tell that to the Super Bowl odds.
Taking a good long look at the available NFL futures is essential when betting on any sport, but when betting on football in particular. It’s a game where there are zero excuses for having an off week, but also one where the single-elimination playoff format can make and break legacies.
Knowing that, when putting together our Superbowl online betting strategies, do we side with the team who’s done it time and time again, establishing themselves as more than capable of raising their game to the necessary level – or the upstart fringe contender with momentum heading into the playoffs? Do we support the team that does it every year, or the long shot that maybe, just maybe, could be embarking upon a new chapter in franchise history.
There’s no clear answer.
Background Checks in time for the NFL Superbowl
One of the most important things to keep in mind when deciding who to support on the Superbowl lines is just what sort of portfolio you’re comparing teams with. Especially early in the season some NFL teams have already withstood a barrage of quality opponents while others have coasted relatively untested.
You may be staring at an undefeated club at an intriguing point of the season, but if all of their Ws have come against weak division rivals or in forgettable interleague matchups, maybe you’re better off siding with the barely plus-.500 contender who’s already waged war with stiff competition.
Impressive records are nice bonuses and all, but any team that qualifies for the playoffs has the potential to be just as dangerous as the next. Not convinced? All of the last three Super Bowl winners did so without so much as a first-round bye, let alone the top record in football.
You’re not betting on which team will finish the season with the most wins, you’re picking a champion. Without making that distinction, any other Superbowl betting tips are moot.
Will this year’s batch of intriguing early Super Bowl threats like the aforementioned Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks continue to punish opponents who underestimate them on account of their less-than-stellar reputations? Or will household names like the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers show yet again why they’re always in the running.