What the Vegas odds say about the Chiefs’ chances against the 49ers in the Super Bowl
A few days before the NFL season, 61-year-old Jim Newhouse drove to a casino in Iowa and placed a bet on his beloved Chiefs to win the Super Bowl. He told his friends over a few beers that it would happen, and then he pulled out the betting slip to prove his confidence.
Others from Kansas City and its surrounding area followed suit, utilizing a new Iowa state law that legalized sports betting. The Nebraska Cornhuskers, Iowa State Cyclones and Iowa Hawkeyes were among the most common wagers there.
But on NFL Sundays, the Chiefs are a popular pick.
Their faithful bettors are now one win away from cashing in — with the odds on their side.
The Chiefs are the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl on Feb. 2 in Miami. For now. Kansas City opened as a 1-point favorite against San Francisco. The line moved to 1 1/2 points early Monday morning but fell back to 1 later in the evening.
The Chiefs were 7-to-1 to win the Super Bowl when the season began — and when Newhouse put his money on it — meaning his bet of $100 would net $700 should they win. A less popular pick? The 49ers, who sat at 40-to-1 on opening week.
The over/under for the Super Bowl is 54 points. Each of the Chiefs’ first two playoff games has eclipsed the total.
Teams who finish the week as the betting favorite have a 37-15 record in the Super Bowl, per VegasInsider, with one game finishing as a pick ‘em. The over has hit in 27 of the past past 52 games, with no total listed in the initial Super Bowl, VegasInsider added. The Patriots were favored in each of the previous three Super Bowls and won two of them.
The Chiefs have covered the spread in eight straight games — the final six of the regular season and both playoff games. They were a 7 1/2-point favorite against the Titans in the AFC Championship Game and won 35-24.