A rematch 11 years in the making is set for Super Bowl 60, and oddsmakers have installed the Seattle Seahawks as early favorites over the New England Patriots.
The Seahawks opened as 3½-point favorites at multiple Las Vegas sportsbooks for the Feb. 8 game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The line quickly climbed to 4½ and even reached 5 at some books Sunday night. The consensus total is 46½.
“We’ve seen the number industrywide tick up a little bit. There was a little bit of early action on the Seahawks on the money line,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said. “But the public, for whatever reason, doesn’t like the Seahawks. The Patriots are the public team of the two.”
Seattle is -235 on the money line to win its second Super Bowl title, while New England is +195 to win its seventh. The Patriots earned their 12th Super Bowl berth by beating the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC championship game Sunday in snowy Denver, failing to cover as 3½-point favorites. Seattle defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in the NFC title game, covering as 2½-point favorites.
“I think it will be the usual Super Bowl scenario where you’ll see the public on Seattle minus the points and another segment of the public all over New England on the money line,” Boomer’s Sportsbook director of trading Nick Bogdanovich said. “So if (the final score) comes one through four points, the books will be counting money all day.”
The matchup evokes memories of Super Bowl 49, when the Patriots beat the Seahawks 28-24 after a controversial pass call from the 1-yard line led to a game-sealing interception. “Fans get a rematch of Super Bowl (49), which featured a classic ending,” Caesars Sportsbook head of football Joey Feazel said. “We get East Coast versus West Coast, an MVP candidate in (Patriots quarterback) Drake Maye and (Seahawks quarterback) Sam Darnold, who has defied the doubters.”
“We were happy with New England winning,” Westgate vice president of race and sports John Murray said. “We did pretty well on the game and we do think New England is better for Super Bowl business. Denver has a great fan base, too, but having the backup quarterback in there, Jarrett Stidham, would not have been great for props and for interest in the game. I think it’s the Super Bowl matchup we all wanted.”
Nevada sportsbooks won a record $22.1 million on last year’s Super Bowl, with a handle of $151.6 million. Books expect another huge handle this year. “Within seconds of opening odds, we accepted a $36,000 wager on the Seahawks -4½, and a $55,000 wager on New England +4½,” Feazel said. “Action will be furious for the next two weeks as we have a marquee matchup.”
