Steelers Favored to Win Super Bowl
The Pittsburgh Steelers are solid favorites to defeat the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl, which will be played on Feb. 1, 2009, in Tampa. The Steelers are favored by 6.5 points at the majority of sportsbooks and the over/under on the game is 47.
There are several sportsbooks that have Pittsburgh -7, such as The Greek, so bettors looking at taking the Cardinals should definitely shop around for the best number they can find.
Pittsburgh is a -260 favorite on the money line, meaning players risk $260 to win $100 that the Steelers will win straight up (without the point spread), while the Cardinals are +225 (risk $100 to win $225).
The amount of money wagered on the game is mind-boggling, as more money is wagered on the Super Bowl than any other event.
Danny Sheridan, oddsmaker for USA Today, estimates that Americans alone will wager roughly $8 billion on the game, while other estimates vary.
Using the National Gambling Impact Study Commission's figures of .6-percent of sports bets being placed legally in Nevada would give an estimate of roughly $13 billion being wagered on the game, which is probably on the high side. I think a worldwide estimate of $10 to $12 billion is probably a safe number.
The proposition bets will start being released today and we'll have daily updates on all the Super Bowl betting possibilities.
