We are still quite a way from the 2018 Super Bowl 52 (LII), but the online sportsbooks have wasted no time and the early betting odds on the most viewed game have been published already. Overall, looking at the numbers posted by the popular online sportsbooks, there are hardly any surprises. The New England Patriots are, as expected, the favorite NFL team to win the game in February, and the Philadelphia Eagles, making their third appearance at the Super Bowl and still chasing the coveted award, are the underdog, although not by much. Let’s go ahead and break down the numbers by sportsbook.
Starting with the most popular internet sportsbook, Bookmaker, we find the Pats -220 to win the game outright and the Eagles underdog with money line +184. At this bookie the point spread has opened at -5 chalk the Patriots and the over/under on the game is set currently at 48 points. The point spread situation is the same at another famous sportsbook, Bovada Sports, where New England are also -5 against the spread, but the money line is a bit more favorable towards Philadelphia – the Eagles are at +165 here and the Patriots are holding -190 odds to win the Super Bowl 52 next month. At 5 Dimes the 2018 Super Bowl point spread opened at just -3 on the New England Patriots, but betting patters quickly moved the line and at last check the spread was -4.5 points chalk the Patriots (+4.5 on the Eagles).
As past experiences show, the opening odds and spread on the Super
Bowl are a good indicator for the overall numbers, but they are certain
to change as time progresses and players begin to wager closer to the
day of the big game, as the spread at 5 Dimes has already indicated.
While one can never be sure in which direction the final betting odds
will take (especially when one considers possible injuries and
unexpected events until the start of the Super Bowl), it is always
advisable to lock to odds when you see them fitting your betting
strategy, rather than waiting.