One year after cruising to a 43-8 blowout win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVII, the Seattle Seahawks returned to the big stage to defend their title in Super Bowl XLIX. The Seahawks were once again boasting the best defense in the NFL and going up against a top offensive team in the AFC facing the New England Patriots, but the results this time around were much different.
When the betting action closed on Super Bowl XLIX, the Seahawks were a 1-point favorite, and that spread turned out to be an accurate reflection of how competitive this game would be. The game was tied 0-0 at the end of the first quarter and 14-14 at the end of the half before Seattle took a 24-14 lead into the fourth quarter. Tom Brady led the team down the field to two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, giving the Patriots a 28-24 lead with 2:02 left in the game.
The ensuing drive by the Seattle Seahawks set up one of the most shocking and widely discussed play calls in Super Bowl history. On first and goal from the New England five-yard line, Marshawn Lynch rushed the ball down to the New England one-yard line. At this point in the game, Lynch had already gone OVER the set game totals for personal carries and rushing yards, and with 26 seconds left in the game, everyone in the stadium was expecting a hand-off to Lynch.
Instead, Seattle opted for a pass play. Russell Wilson tried for a quick strike to Ricardo Lockette on the goal line, but New England rookie corner Malcolm Butler etched his way into the history books by reading the play perfectly and jumping the route for an interception. The interception sealed Super Bowl 50 for the New England Patriots; leaving Seattle fans and bettors in complete shock.
While Malcolm Butler was the late hero, it was quarterback Tom Brady who took MVP honors. Brady finished the game with 328 passing yards and four touchdown passes, receiving the award as a favourite with 5/8 odds prior to kickoff.
New England head coach Bill Belichick was the focal point of a handful of prop bets leading up to Super Bowl XLIX. As expected, Belichick was not caught on camera smiling at any point during the game, paying -170 to prop bettors that bet “No” on that prop. Belichick wearing a sleeveless hoodie was the favorite at -200, but bettors who bet on a sleeved hoodie at +150 cashed in on the coach’s sleeved blue hoodie. The Gatorade the coach was eventually doused in also turned out to be blue, which paid 5/1.
Bettors who can’t wait for the game to start love some pregame action, and bettors who wagered on Idina Menzel’s national anthem to go OVER 2:01 cashed on her 2:04 performance. Through the first 48 Super Bowls, the coin toss was split evenly with heads and tails each coming up 24 times apiece; that tie was split in Super Bowl XLIX with “Tails” coming up as the winner.