Las Vegas sportsbooks are seeing a significant surge in betting activity on the Seattle Seahawks as Super Bowl 60 approaches, with the team attracting a disproportionate amount of both ticket sales and money compared to their opponents, the New England Patriots.
“Unless there’s a miracle, we’ll definitely need the Patriots pretty good,” said Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading at Boomer’s Sportsbook, speaking on . The sentiment reflects a growing confidence in the Seahawks’ chances, and a corresponding concern among bookmakers about a potential payout if the Patriots manage an upset.
The Seahawks currently stand as 4.5-point favorites, a line that moved from an opening of 3.5 points after Championship Sunday. While a substantial bet of nearly $788,000 was placed on the Patriots at BetMGM earlier in the week to win $716,000, the trend quickly reversed. According to Lamarr Mitchell, director of trading at MGM Resorts, the Seahawks have since dominated the betting landscape, accounting for almost 75 percent of all tickets.
“Everyone’s laying the 4½,” Mitchell explained. “Outside of a couple early bets from our sharps on the Patriots, everything has pretty much been Seahawks, Seahawks, Seahawks.”
This public enthusiasm for the Seahawks is echoed across other major sportsbooks. John Murray, vice president of race and sports at Westgate, noted a similar pattern. “I was talking to a lot of people around town and it seems like everybody’s in a similar position. Notice a lot of Seattle bets. The public likes Seattle,” he said. “If New England were to win, we’d have a great day.”
Some books briefly adjusted the spread to 5 points, including South Point and STN Sports, before reverting back to 4.5. Chris Andrews, South Point sportsbook director, explained the reasoning behind maintaining a higher spread. “At this point, we definitely need New England, which is why I’m staying at 5. We’ve got the highest money line in town, too, at -250 (on the Seahawks) and +210 (on the Patriots). It’s been all Seattle — not all Seattle — but a large amount on Seattle.”
At STN Sports, the best-case scenario is a Seahawks win that doesn’t cover the spread, according to director Chuck Esposito. “We did take a good-sized six-figure wager on the Patriots money line (at +205) that drove us back down to 4½,” Esposito said. “Right now, the best-case scenario would be the ’Hawks winning by 1, 2, 3 or 4. The worst case would be Seahawks cover and over.” He also acknowledged the potential for significant shifts in betting patterns leading up to kickoff, estimating that 60 percent of the money will be wagered between Saturday night and Sunday.
Caesars Sportsbook also reported heavy action on the Seahawks, with a $152,000 money line bet placed on Saturday. 68 percent of the money against the spread at Caesars is backing Seattle. Adding to the unusual betting trends, Caesars also took a $100,000 wager on the coin toss to land on tails.
The Westgate, STN Sports, and Boomer’s all reported that approximately 65 percent of tickets are on the Seahawks, with Boomer’s seeing 75 percent of the money also favoring Seattle. Bogdanovich anticipates a surge in betting activity on game day, as people continue to wager on other events alongside the Super Bowl. “We’ll get plenty of action on Sunday. People are betting on basketball. They’re betting on the tables. They don’t want to tie their (money) up until the final day,” he said. “Hopefully some Patriots money shows up. If not, we’ll roll with Drake Maye and Co.”
Total Recall
The over/under for the game is set at 45.5 at most books, with Circa offering 45. Andrews noted a dynamic interplay between “sharp” bettors and the general public regarding the total. “Sharp money’s on the under but the public’s overpowering it with all the parlays to the over. Favorite and the ’dog,” he said. “I’ve been to 46 a couple times and wise guys have come in and bet under the 46. I told them to stick around. We might be back to the 46. Who knows?”
Initial ticket counts at STN Sports favored the over, reaching as high as 74 percent before dropping to 66 percent on Saturday. The Westgate and Caesars also reported a majority of money on the over, with 60 percent and 58 percent respectively. However, Esposito observed a growing trend of under money from both sharp bettors and, increasingly, the public. “We continue to see larger wagers on the under,” he said. “We’re even starting to see a little bit of under money starting to show from the public.”
The overwhelming support for the Seahawks in the betting markets suggests a strong public belief in their ability to secure a victory in Super Bowl 60. However, the significant financial exposure for sportsbooks, coupled with the presence of sharp bettors backing the Patriots, indicates a potentially complex and unpredictable outcome for both the game and the betting industry.
