Who are the Super Bowl Referees? Shawn Smith's Officiating Crew & Betting Trends

The players get all the glory come Super Bowl 60 between the Patriots and Seahawks, of course, but who are the guys in charge of making the tough calls on the big stage? Who are the Super Bowl referees? Let's discuss the crew headlined by Shawn Smith, who's making his debut in the Big Game.

🏈 Who is refereeing the Super Bowl?

Here's a list of the officials for Super Bowl 60.

📊 The Shawn Smith effect: Betting trends

• Underdog-friendly: Since Smith became an official in 2018, underdogs have covered the spread at a 55.3% clip. Underdogs in Smith’s games have been even more profitable in the playoffs, recording a 5-2 ATS mark, with four outright victories. Yes, this is great news for the Patriots, who are sitting at +4.5 on our Super Bowl line report. 
• Smith's average margin of victory is only 4.9 points.
• What about the favorites?: Favorites have still won outright at a 68% clip under Smith all-time. This season, favorites went 9-8 ATS in games officiated by Smith, making it the first time in six years that underdogs failed to post a winning record against the spread under his watch.
• Let 'em play: Smith is known for keeping the flag in his pocket. In 2025, he only called 29 offensive holding penalties - the second-fewest in the NFL. This favors Seattle, which thrive in the trenches.
• Penalties: Smith's penalties per game called (12.13) were below the league average of 12.52 this season.
• The Under trend: Smith-officiated games at Levi's Stadium have trended toward the Under. The total has gone under the number three times in his last five games in San Fran.
• Roughing the passer: Smith is as conservative as it gets with "Roughing the passer" calls - he's only called three all season.

🗒️ Shawn Smith history with Patriots vs. Seahawks

Which Super Bowl teams are thriving under Shawn Smith? Which struggle? The answers might surprise you.

The Patriots are 2-0 straight up and against the spread this season in games officiated by Shawn Smith, and Mike Vrabel-led teams are 6-3 straight up in games he's been the head referee. Seattle, meanwhile, has struggled under Smith's whistle, failing to cover the spread in three straight games. He has yet to ref a Seahawks game this season.

🤔 Why does the referee choice matter for the Super Bowl?

When all is said and done, the referee choice makes a big difference for not only the Super Bowl, but for bettors as well. Will the crew put the flags away in the fourth quarter? Do they want to get their camera time? Smith is more of the former and resides in the "let the boys play" category of refs. However, note that his average margin of victory is 4.9 points, which means we might be in for a close one on Feb. 8.