Super Bowl Odds 2015: Over/Under, Box Score, Prop Picks for Patriots vs Seahawks
Las Vegas is vulnerable when it comes to the 2015 Super Bowl.
It is hard enough to make odds for a showdown between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. Add in some controversy that will have an unknown impact on the game, and bettors stand a great chance to capitalize on the current odds.
The early bird gets the worm, as they say. While Las Vegas struggles with its crystal ball to figure out the ins and outs of a tough matchup and outside effects, bettors will want to put early coin down as soon as possible.
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Whether it is any number of attractive props, old-school over/under picks or an office pool, this year's Super Bowl has a little bit of everything for everyone.
Super Bowl Info and Odds
| Sunday, Feb. 1 | New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks | 6:30 p.m. | NBC | NE -1.5 | 48 | 27-24 SEA |
*Betting info via Odds Shark as of Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 10 p.m. ET.
2015 Super Bowl Prop Bets
| Coin Toss | Heads (20-21) | Tails (20-21) | Tails |
| Team to Win Coin Toss | New England (20-21) | Seattle (20-21) | New England |
| Will Team that Wins Coin Toss Win the Game? | Yes (20-23) | No (20-23) | No |
| Super Bowl MVP | Tom Brady (3-2) | Marshawn Lynch (15-4) | |
| Marshawn Lynch (15-4) | |||
| Russell Wilson (15-4) | |||
| Rob Gronkowski (9-1) | |||
| LeGarrette Blount (12-1) |
*Betting info via Odds Shark as of Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 10 p.m. ET.
Box Score Breakdown
| NE | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| SEA | 7 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 27 |
Hardcore and casual bettors can get into the Super Bowl box score game, otherwise known as Super Bowl Squares.
It is simple, really. Gather folks in the office, construct a grid that measures 11 rows by 11 columns on something large such as a poster board and then divvy out numbers for possible scores.
PrintYourBrackets.com provides a good example, as well as a more complicated offering that puts even more stress on bettors to project how many points each team will score in each frame.
No matter which route a group elects to go, the box score game transcends simply rooting for a certain team or player, making the big game even more enjoyable.
Over/Under Prediction
Right now, the classic betting avenues are not easy on bettors.
The spread is minuscule for good reason, with the over/under positioned in such a way that either side is difficult to take. This could wind up being an air-raid performance by a red-hot Tom Brady that passes the over or a defensive battle decided in the trenches by Marshawn Lynch and LeGarrette Blount.
When in doubt about this matchup at all, defer to the team with less controversy surrounding it—the one that also happens to be the defending champions.
Look, Brady is ridiculous right now. He threw three more touchdowns in the AFC Championship Game against an underrated Indianapolis Colts secondary and appeared quite confident after the fact:
Blount was Bill Belichick's running back flavor of the week. He ran for 148 yards and three scores of his own.
The difference in the Super Bowl being, or course, Seattle's defense.
The Seahawks defense held Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers to a 19-of-34 mark for 178 yards with a score and two interceptions in the NFC Championship Game. It also stuffed lead back Eddie Lacy, who ran 21 times for 73 yards.
In theory, the Seahawks will have few issues with Blount one week removed from facing another battering ram of a running back who gains large amounts of yardage as units focus on his quarterback instead.
One side of the field might be unavailable to Brady too, thanks to the presence of Richard Sherman.
None of this really details the Seattle offense, either. The AFC title game is not really a fair measure of the Patriots defense, but a 31-point allowance to the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round sure is.
If Justin Forsett can gain 129 yards on just 24 carries in Foxborough, Lynch will be able to run wild. Russell Wilson, so long as he comes out firing on all cylinders, unlike the NFC title game, can exploit a defense that surrendered four passing scores.
As RJ Bell of Pregame.com notes, the Patriots are not in a historically great position after dropping 45 on the Colts, anyway:
Both teams are likely to come out firing, and second-half adjustments will reign supreme, perhaps deterring some from betting against a mind such as Belichick.
That said, this is the Seahawks. Experience last year in the big game, as well as the clutch performance last weekend, further proves that Wilson and Co. know how to take care of business down the stretch.
Look for more timely runs by Lynch and quick decisions by Wilson to make the difference in the waning moments. A late flurry by both will lock in the over.
Prediction: Seahawks 27, Patriots 24
Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.
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