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Betting History of the Super Bowl (2020)

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The Super Bowl LIV matchup is set, and it should be a dandy. The San Francisco 49ers will hook up with the Kansas City Chiefs in an intriguing matchup of contrasting styles. Oddsmakers are expecting a tight game, but we’ll have to wait and see where the line ultimately settles before kickoff. In the meantime, let’s take a look back at the betting history for the Big Game of years past.  

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Super Bowl Betting History for the 1960s 

In the late 1960s, the idea was hatched to pit the top teams from the AFL and NFL against each other to determine the very best team in professional football. The dominant Green Bay Packers won the first two games, while the upstart New York Jets put the AFL on the map with a win in Super Bowl III. Here’s what the betting history looks like for the first three editions. 

  • Favorites went 2-1 straight-up. 
  • Favorites went 2-1 against the spread. 
  • The Over/Under was 1-1 over that span. There was no total posted for the first game.  
  • The average margin of victory was 17.67 points. 

Super Bowl Betting History for the 1970s

The ’70s featured a number of dominant teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins, many of which have stood the test of time and remain in the conversation for best of all time. Here’s how that translated at the betting window.

  • Favorites went 9-1 straight-up. 
  • Favorites went 8-2 ATS. 
  • The Over/Under was 3-7.
  • The average margin of victory was 11.9 points. 

Super Bowl Betting History for the 1980s

In the ’80s, the balance of power in the NFL skewed heavily towards the NFC. It was another stretch in which a few franchises, such as the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins, ran roughshod over the rest of the league. This is what that meant from a betting perspective.  

  • Favorites went 6-4 straight-up.
  • Favorites went 5-5 ATS.
  • The Over/Under was 6-4.
  • The average margin of victory was 18.6 points. 

Super Bowl Betting History for the 1990s

The Dallas Cowboys emerged as the team of the ’90s with a trio of Super Bowl wins, while the decade closed out with the Denver Broncos winning back-to-back crowns. Here’s how it all broke down for handicappers.  

  • Favorites went 8-2 straight-up.
  • Favorites went 6-2-1 ATS.
  • The Over/Under was 7-3.
  • The average margin of victory was 18.0 points.  

Super Bowl Betting History for the 2000s

The New England Patriots dynasty sprouted up not too long after the turn of the century. There were several entertaining Super Bowls during this decade, but also a few stinkers. For betting purposes, here’s what that meant. 

  • Favorites went 7-3 straight-up.
  • Favorites went 3-6-1 ATS.
  • The Over/Under was 4-6.
  • The average margin of victory was 10.0 points. 

Super Bowl Betting History for the 2010s

During the most recent stretch of Super Bowls, the Patriots have been regular participants as they have appeared in five of the last 10. As we prepare for a Patriots-free Big Game, here’s the betting history from the most recent batch of Super Bowls.  

  • Favorites went 3-6-1 straight-up (one pick’em spread)
  • Favorites went 3-6-1 ATS. 
  • The Over/Under was 6-4.
  • The average margin of victory was 10.4 points. 

Complete Super Bowl Betting History

Now that we’ve gone decade by decade, let’s tally it up for all 53 editions of the Super Bowl. 

  • Favorites are 35-17-1 overall (one pick’em).
  • Favorites have gone 27-23-3 ATS.
  • The Over/Under checks in at 27-25 (No total for Super Bowl I).
  • The average margin of victory has been 14 points. 

Here’s a couple of notes on the final tally for you to consider. 

  • Favorites win more on an outright basis overall, but the underdog has been the straight-up winner in six of the last 10 Super Bowls. 
  • For the last 20 Super Bowls, favorites are just 6-12-2 ATS. 
  • Totals have been a crapshoot over the last two decades at 10-10 overall. 
  • The average margin of victory is skewed by a number of big blowouts throughout the years. Five of the last 10 Super Bowls have been decided by six points or less. 

Best of luck with your handicapping of Super Bowl LIV. Enjoy the game!

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Christopher Feery is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Christopher, check out his archive and follow him @cmfeery.