Generally speaking, point spreads in the Super Bowl tend to be about a touchdown or less as is the case this year with New England currently sitting at about a five-point favorite over Philadelphia. But what about the biggest point spreads in Super Bowl history, and what can we learn from them?
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The greatest upset in Super Bowl history point spread-wise was Joe Namath's famous guarantee game over the Baltimore Colts back in 1969, but did you know that the 18-point spread in that contest isn't the biggest in championship game history?
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COFFARO: SB 52 Prop Bets
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Let's check out the seven biggest point spreads ever in the Super Bowl and see what we can learn from them.
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49ers -18.5 vs. Chargers: Super Bowl XXIX
There are only a few times in Super Bowl history that the sportsbooks got whooped, and this was one of them.
Despite the massive -18.5 spread, bettors still rode Steve Young and one of the greatest 49ers squads of all time as they crushed a totally overwhelmed San Diego squad.
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Colts -18 vs. Jets: Super Bowl III
Talk about not covering.
Baltimore threw four interceptions in what may have been the most important upset in NFL history as the AFL Jets knocked off the mighty Colts 16 to 7.
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Packers -14 vs. Chiefs: Super Bowl I
Green Bay was massive favorites in the first two Super Bowls and easily covered with a dominating 25-point win.
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Packers -14 vs. Patriots: Super Bowl XXXI
Brett Favre's only Super Bowl win turned out to be anticlimactic for gamblers as the Packers won by exactly 14 points.
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Rams -14 vs. Patriots: Super Bowl XXXVI
Another example of Vegas getting it wrong. The Greatest Show on Turf was looking for its second title in three years, but some QB from Michigan had other plans and a star was born.
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Packers -13.5 vs. Raiders: Super Bowl II
Nearly the same point spread as Super Bowl I, the Packers defeated Oakland in Super Bowl II by the score of 33-14 after beating the Chiefs the year before 35-10.
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Patriots -12 vs. Giants: Super Bowl XLII
The Patriots were a perfect 18-0 while New York barely squeezed into the playoffs as the fifth seed. Vegas figured the betting public would ride Tom Brady and the undefeated Pats, but gamblers loved the Giants and all those points. After New York pulled the 17-14 upset, it was reported that Vegas lost a whopping $2.6 million.
Jay Kornegay, the executive director of the Las Vegas Hilton's sportsbook would tell ESPN afterward, "People came into Las Vegas and they wanted to root for David. The anticipated large wagers that we expected on the Patriots just never materialized."
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The Lesson To Learn
If there's one big takeaway from looking at the results of the biggest point spreads in Super Bowl history it's this: There's no inherit advantage or disadvantage to betting the favorite or underdog in title games with huge lines. Bettors would have gone 3-3-1 with these gigantic spreads, which when you factor in the "juice" taken by sportsbooks, gamblers would've come out on the short end of the gambling stick in these games.
