Bettors are split on Eagles and Chiefs at the Super Bowl

Published Jan. 30, 2025 5:39 p.m. ET

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Bettors are split in the early wagering on the Super Bowl.

Those who believe in the Eagles are mostly taking them on the money line at a more favorable price than the point spread. Chiefs backers are mostly taking what is generally a 1 1/2-point line, believing Kansas City will not only win but cover.

“I think we’ll get a little more Eagles bets (overall), but probably close to 50-50,” said BetMGM Sportsbook trading manager Christian Cipollini, a Philadelphia fan. “I don't think we'll see either team get past 60%.”

Kansas City will go for an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title when it faces Philadelphia on Feb. 9 in New Orleans.

This is the first time, though, during that three-year run that the Chiefs are favored. They were favored, however, in Super Bowl appearances in the 2019 and 2020 seasons and split those games.

DraftKings race and sports operations director Johnny Avello said the Chiefs' recent history is irrelevant when putting together the point spread.

“It's more about the power rating," Avello said. "The Chiefs have just a slight advantage over the Eagles on that rating.”

Another tight Chiefs win?

The Chiefs had a stretch this season when they failed to cover seven consecutive games, but they won six of them.

It's a reason why at least some professional bettors who usually focus solely on the numbers are paying attention to more than just the data.

After laying out reasons why the Eagles could win, CBS SportsLine handicapper Bruce Marshall acknowledged, “All Kansas City seems to do is find ways to win. Sometimes look at the results instead of what goes into the results. That's kind of what's leading me to the Chiefs here. (Patrick) Mahomes controls the levers of the game so much.”

And give Mahomes the ball in the fourth quarter with a chance to win, he usually does.

“There's a lot of that black magic talk out there,” Cipollini said. “It doesn't matter what they did, they find a way to win. There's obviously the ref talk they are plainly on their side and all that. I think we're going to get a lot of Chiefs bets just off people saying they're destined to win. But I'm a little biased because I think this Eagles team is better.”

Believing in Barkley

Mahomes is the favorite to be the game MVP, but Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is right behind him and drawing more action.

Cipollini said for the first time in his memory the first two leaders in money wagered at a Super Bowl were not quarterbacks. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce joins Barkley in attracting the most betting action, though a bulk of that came on a $25,000 wager.

Barkley is +240 at BetMGM, shortly behind Mahomes at +105. He's +260 at DraftKings compared to Mahomes at +120. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is +375 at BetMGM and +350 at DraftKings.

“That's unusual because normally your MVP is going to be the quarterback,” Avello said of Hurts. “Now when you take this particular team, their quarterback is not the strength of the team.”

Props and more props

Super Bowl betting has become so known for its prop betting that sportsbooks try to outdo each other with an even more full menu each year.

This year will be no different.

Cipollini said he expected BetMGM to have about 1,500 such betting options, and with having so much ground to cover, some professionals can find weak spots.

“It might be on something weird like fourth-quarter rushing yards or something like that," Cipollini said. "Whatever they may be, there are so many more options for them to bet, and then with the two weeks ahead of time before the game begins, they’ll have plenty of time to do their research that they need to do.”

Marshall generally avoids prop bets, but said those who are serious about it should narrow their focus to a couple they really like.

“I see every year people betting 15, 20 different props,” Marshall said. “It's usually over on everything — over yards, over catches, over tackles, over touchdowns.”

Swifties effect on betting

DraftKings used some of Taylor Swift's hit songs in proposition bets at last year's Super Bowl, such as “Gold Rush” involving a San Francisco scoring bet and “Anti-Hero” regarding 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.

Expect more such props to be posted in the next week or so as Swift returns to the big game to cheer on boyfriend Kelce.

“She really has brought some new fans into the game,” Avello said. “Her going to the game kind of draws a crowd to watch the game, and people that watch games usually make bets on games. So she's been good for wagering.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

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