Super Bowl team props may not be as popular as player props, but they might just offer the most profitable opportunities for bettors to make money on the big game. Some Super Bowl props like player to score the first touchdown can lead to a big payoff, but bettors only have one chance to win – or more if they wager on multiple players – and then the fun is over. The odds are against you, making it very difficult to cash in.
In fact, odds for Super Bowl props in general are almost always set with the most likely outcome favored. So sharp prop bettors usually do their wagering either right when the odds are released or after the public has changed them one way or another in an effort to get the best numbers possible. Many team props focus on scoring, and researching past trends involving the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks can help you handicap which of them have the better chance of winning during Super Bowl XLIX.
The Patriots are the higher-scoring team of the two, as they averaged 29.2 points and 365.5 yards per game during the regular season, compared to 24.6 and 375.8 for the Seahawks. Seattle was actually a better scoring team the previous year (26.2 points per game) but averaged less total yards (339). New England has been the top team offensively in the playoffs, averaging 40 points and 409.5 yards in two games. The Patriots also have been a better team defensively in the postseason, allowing 19 points and 338.5 yards per game, compared to 19.5 and 334 for the Seahawks.
But Seattle’s defense ranked No. 1 in the NFL both this season and last, and that unit propelled the team to its first-ever Super Bowl title in 2014. This is significant when wagering on Super Bowl XLIX props because bettors tend to get carried away taking the OVER and YES options on many of them because they often involve a plus return as essentially the underdog of the two choices.
For example, will New England successfully convert a fourth down? Taking YES for the Patriots is worth +130 (bet $100 to win $130) while NO is -160 (bet $160 to win $100). For the Seahawks, YES is +140 and NO is -170. Both teams converted fourth downs in their respective conference title games but neither attempted one in the previous round.
Likewise, betting OVER 1.5 turnovers by New England is +140 and by Seattle is +120. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw one interception in each of their playoff wins while Seahawks counterpart Russell Wilson tossed four picks in the NFC Championship Game but had thrown just two combined in his previous eight.
Additional team props where the OVER is an underdog include, how many field goals will be kicked in Super Bowl XLIX? OVER 3.5 is EVEN money while OVER 4.5 is worth +195. Taking UNDER 3.5 is the -130 favorite and UNDER 4.5 is even bigger at -250. Bettors can also wager on OVER/UNDER 1.5 FGs for New England or Seattle along with the exact number of FGs kicked by each team or both combined.
Last year, the Seahawks kicked two FGs in the first quarter of the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos but did not have another one the rest of the game. The Green Bay Packers kicked five in their 28-22 overtime loss to Seattle in the NFC Championship Game though, and the Patriots had three in their last meeting with the Seahawks two years ago. New England had scored a TD in each of the first two quarters of that 24-23 road loss but settled for three points on the next three scoring drives with Seattle’s defense tightening. That is something definitely to consider before betting too many Super Bowl props featuring the Patriots OVER the total. The Seahawks have not given up more than two TDs in any game during their current eight-game winning streak.