How to Bet on the Super Bowl

Super Bowl 47 between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers is set to kickoff this Sunday at 6:30 ET. The game will be played at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA and will be nationally televised on CBS.

For those of you thinking about betting on the game this weekend, here is a closer look at the different types of bets you can make.

Moneyline

The most simple bet you can make on Super Bowl 47 is picking who you think will win the game. You can currently get the 49ers -175 on the money line at 5dimes.  The Ravens are listed at +155.

For those of you who might not understand what the +/- means, because San Francisco is favored, you would have to bet $175 (-175) to win $100. For the Ravens, if you were to bet $100 you would win $155 (+155) if they were to win outright.  As you might guess many times the underdog is a popular bet on the moneyline because of their higher payout, but don’t be surprised to see a lot of people jumping on San Francisco as well.

Against the Spread

Betting the spread is a way for oddsmakers to set a line to try and get 50/50 action on both sides of the game. The 49ers are currently listed at -3.5 (-105), while the Ravens are +3.5 (-115).

If San Francisco wins the game by 4 points or more, it will cover the spread.  If Baltimore loses the game by 3 points or less, or wins outright, it would cover the spread.

Instead of taking the +3.5 on the Ravens and paying -115 juice, the smart bet would be to just take them on the money line at +155.  That would pay you more money for a winning wager, and it would also save you money on a losing wager because you wouldn’t have to pay the juice.  The only way you could be upset about making this decision is if the Ravens lost by 3 points or less, which is a low probability.

Total

5Dimes currently has the total for Super Bowl 47 set at 47.5 points.  That means you can either place a bet on the total combined score of the game to go over 47.5 (-110) or under 47.5 (-110).  Notice you get the same odds regardless of which side you take, meaning you have to bet $110 to win $100 whether you take the over or the under.

This bet takes into consideration the dominance of the offenses and defenses in the game.  If you believe it is going to be a defensive battle, then take the ‘under’.  If you feel like the offenses are going to control the game, then select the ‘over’.  The only previous meeting between the Ravens and 49ers with the Harbaugh brothers as head coaches resulted in a 16-6 Baltimore win in December of 2011 in a defensive battle.

Props

Unlike any other game, the Super Bowl offers numerous different betting opportunities. For instance, you can bet on who will score the first touchdown, how many rushing yards will Frank Gore have, or how many touchdowns will Joe Flacco throw. These are just a few of hundreds of prop bets you can make on Super Bowl 47.

While this may seem a bit over the top for some fans, many experts feel like they have a great grasp on how the game will go, thus they can make a killing on these bets. Take a look and see what you can find.  Many people believe prop bets are easier than picking the winner of the game, while others just do them for extra action and entertainment.

About the Author: Jack Jones has been ranked in the Top-5 on the Overall Leaderboard for almost all of 2012 here at Betfirms. He has climbed as high as No. 2 while competing against roughly 80 of the best handicappers in the world. He finished as the No. 6 Ranked Basketball Handicapper from 2011-12, which combines pro and college hoops. His $1,000/game basketball players cashed in $22,310 last season. Head on over to Jack's premium pick page to see what he has in store for tonight!