You just had a feeling that things were going to be extra special in Sin City this year for the Super Bowl. While the matchup wasn’t what everyone expected, there was plenty of drama leading up to the Rams taking on the Bengals. For Las Vegas gambling as a whole, things were epic, as Nevada sportsbooks set a record with Super Bowl bets this season. So, just how much money was wagered for the big game this year?
According to a local report, roughly $180 million was put in the hands of the Nevada sportsbooks for the Super Bowl bets. That’s of course a massive amount of dough, with a large chunk of that coming from Las Vegas. That’s not a surprise at all, as the Super Bowl weekend was packed in Las Vegas. With the mask mandate being ended as well, this drew plenty of more people to the big casinos and what not for the big game.
In the end of things, Los Angeles ended up coming away with a 23-20 win, which means they didn’t cover the spread. The Rams were 4-point favorites and only one by three points. This means that the people that bet big on them covering were not happy, while those out there who had strong belief in the Bengals came away with a handsome payday. Still, though, the Rams did win the Super Bowl, which was a great game.
Keep in mind that people weren’t just betting on the outcome of the game. There were countless prop bets for the Super Bowl that were bet on. This of course includes the coin toss, how long the National Anthem would be and so much more. Because of this, it was a day to remember for the Nevada sportsbooks, as they smashed the previous betting record of $158.6 million which was set for the Super Bowl back in 2018.
In another piece of great news, major bets are already coming in for next year’s Super Bowl as well. As soon as the Rams beat the Bengals, odds for February of 2023 already came out, with the Kansas City Chiefs holding the best odds to win it all next season. Behind them were the Bills, Rams and others. The Chiefs holding the No. 1 NFL odds holders for next season isn’t a major stunner. It will be interesting to see what happens this offseason, though.
The Chiefs have some major questions when it comes to free agency. At the top of things, people can’t wait to see what ends up happening with safety Tyrann Mathieu. Mathieu is an unrestricted free agent, and he’ll surely receive plenty of interest next month. Teams like the Chargers, Ravens and Colts figure to try and land him and steal the defensive back away from the Chiefs. With that said, Mathieu wants to return to the team.
“I mean, I hope so,” Mathieu said when asked about a KC reunion. “Ever since I came here, I’ve just tried to be the right kind of teammate. I’ve tried to play my part and you know, obviously, there’s always that feeling that you could make more plays for your team. But I’m hoping it works out. I don’t have any control over that. I feel like everything that was in my control, I tried my best to handle it and to do it with a smile. I love this team.”
In addition to Mathieu, there’s the possibility that defensive lineman Frank Clark could be cut by the team this offseason to help out with the salary cap. Regardless of that, the Chiefs will be among the favorites. Don’t sleep on the Packers here either, though, but with them, we’ll have to wait and see if Aaron Rodgers decides to retire or return next season.
Unfortunately for the local fans, the Las Vegas Raiders don’t have high AFC odds for next season per the best rated online sportsbooks. In the AFC West alone, Las Vegas has the third-best odds for the division, as they’re behind the Chiefs and Chargers. Kansas City is expected to run away with that title, but the Chargers will be massive players here as well. That’s always going to be the case with Justin Herbert as the team’s quarterback.
For the Raiders, it will be on Las Vegas signal-caller Derek Carr to try and help this team get things over the top. The Raiders were able to make the postseason this past campaign, but they suffered a Wild Card Round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. There’s nothing to be upset about, though, as Cincinnati ended up beating Tennessee and Kansas City to move on to the Super Bowl.
From our chair, it might be tough for the Raiders to even make the playoffs this year. There’s plenty of excitement with a new head coach and general manager in town, but Las Vegas must be busy this offseason in signing top free agents. If they don’t, it could be a long season for Carr and Co. We’ll end up seeing how things play out here for the team.
