The Philadelphia Eagles crushed the Kansas City Chiefs with a 40-22 result in Super Bowl LIX, and this outcome turned out well for many sportsbooks. Public bettors had seen success through the season, but this time, oddsmakers got back some of their losses.
Eagles Dominated Early, Shattering Chiefs’ Three-Peat Hopes and Boosting Sportsbooks
The Eagles entering as slight underdogs shut down any doubts by seizing control early. Philadelphia raced to a commanding 24-0 lead at halftime and grew their advantage to 34-0 before Kansas City scored. This lopsided game not only crushed the Chiefs‘ dreams of a historic third straight title but also brought a favorable outcome for sportsbooks, many of which had been rooting for an Eagles victory.
Before the game started, bookies at several betting shops favored a low-scoring win for the Eagles. A spokesperson from The SuperBook in Las Vegas said that while they hoped for a weak offensive show from Kansas City, the high score in the game stopped bookies from winning even more, reported Fox Sports.
In-game betting also had a big impact on the results. When the Chiefs were down by 24 at halftime many people bet on Kansas City to make a comeback thinking about how New England caught up from 28-3 behind against Atlanta in Super Bowl LI. However, unlike the Patriots, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs could not turn things around, which meant more money for the betting shops.
BetMGM Nevada said many bets in progress went on the Chiefs’ moneyline at 10-to-1 odds. This bold betting move ended up helping sportsbooks when Kansas City could not catch up.
Last-Minute Chiefs Rally Shifted Betting Outcomes
Even though the Eagles controlled the game, Kansas City scored a bunch of points in the last few minutes. This pushed the total score above the expected Over/Under line of 48 or 48.5 points at most sportsbooks. Sportsbook operators said they wanted the game to stay under the total, but the late touchdowns let public bettors win.
A bookmaker pointed out that expert gamblers backed the Under, but the surge of parlay wagers on the Over ended up paying off resulting in a mixed outcome for betting companies.
Super Bowl prop bets, which draw in both casual and seasoned gamblers, brought both profits and losses for betting firms. An unforeseen event happened near the end of the game when Eagles backup quarterback Kenny Pickett came in completing a pass that allowed the popular “Over 2.5 players to attempt a pass” prop to succeed.
Also, Philadelphia’s defense had an impact on prop betting results. Cornerback Cooper DeJean scored a touchdown off an interception winning multiple defensive-related bets. The odds to score any defensive touchdown were around +300 paying off for those who bet on Philadelphia’s turnover-creating ability.
On the other hand, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Eagles running back Saquon Barkley both fell short of their betting props. Barkley, a popular choice to score a touchdown, did not reach the end zone, and Kelce ended up with 39 receiving yards.
These outcomes were good for sportsbooks as many same-game parlays included both players. Even though the Super Bowl caused a lot of excitement betting companies saw a small decrease in total bets compared to the record-breaking Super Bowl in Las Vegas last year. The 2024 game between the Chiefs and 49ers attracted huge bets because it took place in Nevada, and many 49ers fans from California were there.