Before 2018, when sports betting was illegal across the country, Americans had to get a little creative to bet on the Super Bowl. Now residents in more than 30 states can place legitimate Super Bowl wagers through legal retail or online sportsbooks.

A lot has changed in just a few years.

In February, the best teams in the NFC and AFC will line up to play each other in a winner takes all decider. The 2023 version, or Super Bowl LVII as it is formally known, will be played in State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on February 12th. How to bet on the Super Bowl? The answer is it’s easier than ever.

Where to Place Wagers

Sports betting is currently legal in some form in 31 states. Some only allow retail sports betting. That means you have to be physically present in a casino or retail sports betting venue in order to place a bet.

Conveniently, there are many states that also permit fully online betting. That means you simply  download an app to your mobile device or register on a legal sportsbook’s website and away you go.

Registration is always free and very often comes with a welcome bonus.

Even if your particular state has not yet legalized sports betting, there’s a good chance a neighboring one has. Everyone is welcome to make a visit to one of the legal betting states and participate in the fastest growing entertainment industry in the country.

How to Place Super Bowl Bets

Regardless of where the betting is done, the process is very similar. Once registered online, Super Bowl bettors will simply navigate to the NFL or Football menu of their provider. There will most likely be a separate section for the Super Bowl, such is the importance of this event.

After that it’s a case of choosing the betting type and how much to wager.

Since the Super Bowl is a solitary game between the AFC and NFC champions, some betting options will not be available e.g. multi-game parlays. The three most popular betting options that will be available are be straight bets, single-game parlays, and proposition bets.

What is a Straight Bet?

A straight bet is a wager on one outcome. In the case of the Super Bowl, there are three primary kinds of straight bets available.

The first kind would involve betting on either team with the point spread at odds approximating -110 on either side. The point spread is the number of points that would need to be subtracted from the winner’s total points to decide which team wins the game and bet.

The second kind would involve betting on either team to win the game outright without the point spread. This is referred to as a money line wager. The favorite in the game would be indicated by negative odds (ie: -195). The underdog’s money line odds is stated as a positive (ie: +175).

Bettors might also choose to wager on the game’s over/under option. The over/under is a number posted by bookmakers that represents the targeted total points both teams will score combined. Bettors can wager that the game will go over or under that total.

What is a Parlay?

A parlay is a single betting slip that includes two or more outcomes (legs). For the Super Bowl, parlay wagers will typically include a side and the over/under at the stated odds. To win this bet, bettors have to be correct about all listed legs.

Parlay bets are popular because they involve getting multiple bets right in order to win. That means a small wager can produce a big payoff.

What is a Proposition Bet?

Super Bowl novice bettors love wagering on proposition bets. Proposition bets target statistical events that might occur before or during the game. Anything and everything related to the game might be offered as a prop bet. When it comes to the Super Bowl some sportsbooks might list as many as 500 different prop bet options!

Here are just a handful of the typical kind of proposition bets offered:

— Which team wins the coin flip
— First player to score a TD
— Quarterback with the most passing yards
— Running back with the most rushing yards
— Distance of the longest field goal

Of course knowing how to bet on the Super Bowl is not the same is knowing how to win. That’s up to the knowledge, skill and of course luck of the sports bettor in question!