Super Bowl Spread vs. Money Line
A lot of you are asking us here at Gambling911.com what ‘s better to wager on: The Super Bowl spread or the Super Bowl money line.
To that we have a simple answer.
Let's look at Bookmaker.com. We are still loving the fact that as of Wednesday evening, they were offering a spread of -6 ½ on the Steelers. If you like Pittsburgh, why bet them at the -7 line you'll find everywhere else? A touchdown, you win with the -6 ½, you push elsewhere (no win, no loss but plenty of frustration).
At Bookmaker.com - and everywhere else for that matter - it makes little sense to bet the Pittsburgh money line. Reason: You have to lay $255 just to win $100! Now keep in mind if the Steelers win, you get your $255 plus the $100. And all they have to do is WIN, no cover necessary with a money line. It's just the idea that the price is so steep and no guarantee that Pittsburgh will win for that amount of risk.
The Arizona Cardinals are a whole different animal.
We say Bet the money line if you like Arizona. When the Cardinals lose they tend to lose big. So our theory at Gambling911.com is this won't be a close game if Pittsburgh wins. You like Arizona, go for it all and bet that money line. The payout is $215 for every $100 bet at Bookmaker.com.
The Bleacher Report featured an interesting breakdown of how the Cardinals could go on to win the 2009 Super Bowl.
Offense: "It all starts with Kurt Warner....The Cardinals are a pass-first team, but they should make a serious commitment to the running game. Edgerrin James needs to carry the ball at least 15 times, even if he mostly gets short gains or no gain. The idea is to make the Steelers respect the running game."
Defense: "The Steelers offense will be somewhat conservative, with QB Ben Roethlisberger handing the ball off, making a few key throws, and waiting for the defense to hand him good field position. The Cardinals will have to get remedial on them: The first man to the ball carrier grabs him, stops his forward progress, and brings him down. The Cardinals probably can't win without forcing turnovers. In their three playoff wins, the team has picked up four fumbles and snared eight interceptions...Fortunately, the Cardinals secondary seems to have gotten hot at just the right time."
The Most Important Player: "Edgerrin James. He has to force the Steelers to account for him on every snap, when they'd rather focus on his team's other stars. If he breaks a few long runs, he could get more attention than the Steelers want to give him. That could free up Arizona's downfield threats and lead to an obligation at the trophy stand."
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
