The NFL made a somewhat controversial choice in May 2010 by awarding Super Bowl XLVIII to MetLife Stadium outside of New York City. Once the $1.6 billion stadium was built, it was all but a foregone conclusion that the NFL would award the region the game.
The New York/New Jersey region beat out Tampa and Miami, meaning the NFL’s owners apparently don’t care that winter weather will be a part of the Super Bowl and certainly could affect the outcome. There has been rain at a few of the games and there was a winter storm at Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta, but that was in a dome.
When you bet on the Super Bowl’s first wintery affair, you have to consider the potential advantage a cold-weather team could have in the game.
Bundle Up
The coldest it has ever been for an outdoor Super Bowl at kickoff was 39 degrees at Super Bowl IV at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. Perhaps predictably, that was low scoring with Kansas City beating Minnesota 23-7. The Vikings were 12-point favorites on the Super Bowl point spread and the total on that game was a scant 39 yet it was still under.
Back in late August, the Farmers’ Almanac predicted a brutal winter storm will hit the Northeast between February 1 and February 3. The game is February 2 and of course it’s a primetime kickoff, meaning it will be even colder than it would be with a 1 PM kick. The lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history was VII when the Dolphins beat the Redskins 14-7 to complete their perfect season, and that was in the warmth of Los Angeles. Just imagine if it’s blizzard conditions this time and how that may affect SuperBowl odds on the total.
Home Sweet Home
It’s hard to say any team would ever have a home-field advantage in a Super Bowl because the average fans can’t get their hands on tickets. No team has hosted a Super Bowl and played in the game, and it’s rather unlikely the Jets or Giants are the first this year. Gang Green is 150/1 on Super Bowl betting odds and the G-Men 40/1.
A team should have an advantage if it is used to playing in the wintry conditions though. The Packers and Bears come to mind immediately in the NFC along with the Eagles. In the AFC, favorites like the Broncos, Patriots and Bengals would be plenty accustomed to the weather. Remember this for your SuperBowl betting tips: the Patriots were the beneficiaries of one of the most controversial calls in NFL history, the tuck rule playoff game in a blizzard against Oakland.
Only one dome team has won the Super Bowl: New Orleans when it beat fellow dome club Indianapolis in SB XLIV. Dome teams are built differently and the Saints, Falcons and Colts would seem to be at a huge disadvantage in the weather. NFC powers San Francisco and Seattle don’t play in the snow at home but are used to windy, rainy conditions so they might be able to adjust better than most.
The NFC opened as a 1.5-point favorite on the early Super Bowl lines.