Chiefs favored over Buccaneers to win 2022 Super Bowl
The day after Super Bowl LV was a busy one at Las Vegas sportsbooks as many gamblers placed their bets on teams to win Super Bowl LVI.
A Westgate bettor made a $10,000 wager Monday to win $80,000 on the Buccaneers to repeat as champions at 8-1 odds after they beat the Chiefs 31-9 in Sunday’s Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida.
Kansas City is the 5-1 favorite to win the Super Bowl in 2022. The Westgate and William Hill each took a $5,000 wager to win $25,000 on the Chiefs.
“We’re still writing money on the Chiefs at low odds,” Westgate vice president of risk Ed Salmons said. “You get those teams like the Lakers, Chiefs, Yankees and Dodgers that get completely undervalued on the futures market.
“You’re paying a tax for the name. You’re never going to get value odds.”
Tampa Bay was 12-1 to win the 2022 Super Bowl before Sunday’s game but was lowered to 8-1 at the Westgate by halftime.
“Whoever wins the Super Bowl, we lower their odds during the game,” Salmons said. “Tampa was just amazing in the playoffs. They got better and better in every game. They should be good again.”
The Bucs lead the way in tickets and are second in money wagered on Super Bowl futures at William Hill, while the Chiefs are the money leader and second in tickets.
Packers backers
The Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills are tied for the 10-1 third choice. A Westgate bettor made a $14,000 wager to win $140,000 on the Packers to win the Super Bowl after they lost back-to-back NFC title games to the 49ers and Bucs.
“We’re seeing a ton of action on Green Bay,” Salmons said. “They’re betting Green Bay like crazy to win the Super Bowl.”
The Baltimore Ravens are 12-1, followed by the New Orleans Saints at 14-1 and the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams at 16-1.
A Westgate bettor placed a $5,000 wager to win $30,000 on Baltimore to win the AFC (6-1) and a $4,000 bet to win $60,000 on the Dallas Cowboys to win the NFC (15-1).
“The NFC looks much more open than the AFC,” Salmons said. “You can point to six or seven teams in the NFC (as Super Bowl contenders). In the AFC, it feels like there are only three teams to look at: the Bills, Chiefs and Ravens.
“If (Houston QB) Deshaun Watson goes to another team, that would obviously change a lot of things.”
Long shots
The Raiders are in the middle of the pack at 40-1.
“It kind of feels like they’ve gone as far as they can with Derek Carr,” Salmons said. “Is Derek Carr going to win you a Super Bowl? I don’t see that.”
William Hill took three notable bets on the Carolina Panthers: $2,500 to win $187,500 and $1,000 to win $75,000 at 75-1 and $1,000 to win $60,000 at 60-1. William Hill also took a $5,000 wager to win $750,000 on the New York Jets at 150-1.
Super Bowl handle
The Nevada Gaming Control Board is expected to release the state’s Super Bowl betting handle, or amount wagered, on Tuesday.
Five of the six reported seven-figure wagers on the Super Bowl were placed in Las Vegas. BetMGM took a $2.5 million money-line bet on the Chiefs (-165); a $2.3 million straight bet on the Bucs +3½ (-115) that paid $2 million; a $1 million ML bet on the Bucs (+135) that paid $1.35 million; and a $1 million two-team teaser on the Bucs +9 and over 50 (-130). William Hill took a $1.16 million ML bet on the Chiefs (-155).
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.