Super Bowl 59 kicks off at 6:28 p.m. on Sunday, February 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The game between the AFC and NFC champions will air on FOX. 

The Super Bowl is the most bet-on single sporting event of the year in the U.S. More than $35 billion was expected to be bet on the NFL this season, according to the American Gaming Association. A record 68 million American adults (26%) bet an estimated $23.1 billion on Super Bowl LVIII, a 35 percent increase from 2023 estimates, according to American Gaming Association (AGA) research. 

That includes $23.1 billion wagered on the Big Game on legal betting sites, via offshore/illegal sites, with retail sportsbooks, local bookies, and through so-called "friendly" wagers with family, friends, and co-workers.

The Super Bowl also offers, by far, the largest available market in terms of total wagers. Prop wagers have become increasingly popular with bettors. This season, in several weeks, prop plays equaled or surpassed the number of straight plays on the moneyline, spread, and total at multiple books. 

Super Bowl Betting Audience 

Last year, betting on the Big Game was split about 50/50. In addition to several hundred prop plays expected, there will be more money bet in-game this year than ever before. Both the AFC Champions and NFC Champions are in markets that allow online betting. 

Super Bowl 58 was the most-watched telecast in history. The game between the Chiefs and 49ers ended with Kansas City scoring a 25-22 victory in overtime. The Chiefs won outright as 1.5-point underdogs. And the under hit on the total of 47.5, despite 9 points being scored in OT. 

That game saw 123.4 million average viewers across all platforms, including CBS, Paramount+, Nickelodeon, Univision, and CBS Sports and NFL digital properties.

This year, legal online and retail sports betting on the Super Bowl is being offered in 38 states, plus Washington DC. Sports betting became legal in Missouri on January 1 but is not expected to launch until August at the earliest. 

Super Bowl Betting Numbers 

On Thursday, the Westgate Superbook will unveil its annual batch of exotic props featuring offerings that include just the game and others that cross sports. Last year, the book offered more than 500 props. 

In what has become an annual ritual in the sports betting world, the massive board inside the legacy book on the north side of Las Vegas first goes fully dark. Then, at 5 p.m. local time, the props are lit one panel at a time before the entire board is full. 

Bettors line up beforehand at the counter. Each one is allowed up to 2 separate plays and can wager up to $2,000. In the first 58 Super Bowls, favorites are 28-27-2 against the spread in the Super Bowl and 30-27 straight up. The Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl 49 was a pick 'em. 

Winners covering has been the trend of late. The Chiefs won outright as underdogs in the past 2 Super Bowls. The winner has covered in 9 of the past 10 games and 17 of the past 20. But the underdogs have been barking throughout the 21st Century. Underdogs have covered in 14 of the past 20 Super Bowls - beginning with the Patriots 20-17 OT win over the Rams in Super Bowl 36 as 14-point underdogs. 

In terms of points total, the under has been on a run of late, hitting in 5 of the past 6 games. The over has gone 29-28 in the 57 Super Bowls in which it was posted. And 12 of the past 20 Super Bowls have finished as one-score games. The team to score first has won 37 of 58 Super Bowls. The Patriots own the NFL record with the most Super Bowl appearances, a total of 11. They went 6-5 SU and 7-4 ATS in those games.