Super Bowl squares popular Circa Sports prop betting option

Circa Sports’ version of Super Bowl squares started as a lark, turned into a staple and now has become one of the first markets the sportsbook opens for the game.

This is the third straight year Circa has offered the squares, turning a Super Bowl party fixture into a prop betting option. (And you never get stuck with bad numbers.)

“It’s the No. 1 priority of all the things that you could categorize as props for the game,” Circa sportsbook manager Chris Bennett said. “That’s the very first thing that we put out beyond the full-game and first-half markets. … We write just a ton of tickets on it, a lot of money.”

In Super Bowl squares, participants receive numbers corresponding to the last digit of each team’s score. Prizes are awarded for the winners at the end of each quarter. (For example, someone with Los Angeles Rams 7, Cincinnati Bengals 0 wins a quarter if the score lands Rams 7-0, Bengals 10-7, Rams 27-20 or any other similar combination.)

In traditional squares, numbers are randomly drawn, and players vie for a set prize. “Good” squares reflect common football scores: 0 and 0, 3 and 0, 7 and 0, etc. “Bad” squares include 2 and 2, 5 and 5, and 5 and 9.

In Circa’s twist, there is no random draw. Bettors choose the squares they want to wager on, and the price reflects the likelihood of that happening. For the full game, Rams 7, Bengals 4 is favored at 20-1. Rams 5, Bengals 5 is the biggest long shot at 250-1.

Bennett said the squares were a great way to bring in sports betting novices who might not understand prop bets but have probably seen squares at a Super Bowl party.

“Ranks right up there with filling out a bracket for March Madness,” he said. “… Once people get it, then they’re usually interested in betting at least a handful of the squares.”

The minimum bet is $1 per square. Bennett said that if the previous two years are an indication, Circa will see “an avalanche of tickets, mostly for smaller amounts.”

Still, Circa will stand to lose money if some longer shots come in. Bennett said that’s especially the case in the first quarter, when some squares, such as 2 and 2, pay 5,000-1.

“It doesn’t take a lot of money for us to have pretty significant liability to that combination, so if some really goofy combination comes in for the first quarter, it’s almost a guarantee we’re going to lose a lot on that,” Bennett said.

“… We are not guaranteed to win on this by any stretch.”

Caesars Sportsbook is also offering squares for the final score. Rams 7, Bengals 0 is favored at 20-1; eight combinations are tied as the biggest long shots at 250-1.

Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.