Sportsbooks Favor Seahawks Over Patriots After Contrasting Conference Championship Wins
The two conference championship games on Sunday produced sharply different paths to the Super Bowl, setting up a matchup few expected at the start of the season.
Following the results, the best sports betting sites installed the Seattle Seahawks as the favorites to win the Super Bowl.
In the NFC, the Seahawks survived a high-scoring battle against the Los Angeles Rams. On the other side, the New England Patriots advanced from the AFC after a low-scoring win in snowy conditions against a Denver Broncos team led by a backup quarterback.
The Seahawks opened as a 5-point betting favorite over the Patriots at BetMGM, with moneyline odds of -235, representing a 70% chance of winning the Super Bowl. DraftKings and FanDuel both list Seattle at -230 on the moneyline and as a 4.5-point betting favorite.
The NFC Championship delivered sustained offense and momentum swings, as both Seattle and Los Angeles traded scores repeatedly. Seattle ultimately outlasted its division rival to secure the conference title.
Despite winning their respective conferences, neither team had actually entered the season as a Super Bowl odds contender. According to BetMGM’s February opening odds, that title went to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Instead, Seattle opened at 60-to-1 odds to win the Super Bowl, while New England stood at 80-to-1. The total for the game is set at 46.5, suggesting expectations of balanced scoring rather than an extreme outcome on either side. The matchup also marks a Super Bowl rematch from 11 years ago, when New England defeated Seattle 28-24 in Arizona.
NFL to continue cap on Super Bowl sports betting ads
As attention builds around the Super Bowl matchup, the NFL is also enforcing limits on sports betting advertising during the event. The league allows no more than six of the best sports betting apps commercials from pre-game coverage through the end of the game, though it does not disclose which operators purchase those ads or when they air.
Gambling harm advocates have raised concerns about the presence of sportsbook advertising during marquee events, particularly for individuals with gambling problems or those in recovery. Critics note that celebrity-driven campaigns can downplay the risks associated with betting.
Tim Schlittner, Director of Communications at the NFL, said six betting ads are permitted from just before kickoff through the game's conclusion. Despite that allowance, the Super Bowl has never reached the maximum number. Betting commercials historically represent a single-digit percentage of total Super Bowl advertising inventory.
Economic factors have played a role in limiting sportsbook participation. A 30-second Super Bowl commercial costs around $8 million, excluding production expenses, which restricts the number of betting operators willing to advertise. The last two Super Bowls each featured ads from two sportsbook brands. There are cheaper ways for operators offering the best sportsbook promos to get their word out.
Some of the confusion about the amount of advertising allowed stems from a January 2024 Associated Press report. A former NFL executive was quoted as saying that the number of betting ads typically shown in games is under 5% of the total ads shown.
However, the actual rule that the NFL enforces in the Super Bowl is the six-ad limit.
