Eagles v Chiefs: US expects record $16bn in Super Bowl betting

Greater than 50 million persons are anticipated to put bets totaling $16bn as Philadelphia Eagles battle Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.

A document variety of folks in the US are anticipated to put bets on the upcoming Tremendous Bowl sport between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, highlighting the enlargement of authorized sports activities betting throughout the US.

The American Gaming Affiliation (AGA) estimated on Tuesday that greater than 50 million folks — about 20 p.c of the US inhabitants — would place bets on Sunday’s sport, for a complete of about $16bn.

The determine represents authorized wagers, in addition to informal bets between pals and people illegally positioned with a bookie.

“Yearly, the Tremendous Bowl serves to focus on the advantages of authorized sports activities betting: Bettors are transitioning to the protections of the regulated market, leagues and sports activities media are seeing elevated engagement, and authorized operators are driving wanted tax income to states throughout the nation,” stated Invoice Miller, the affiliation’s president and CEO.

The AGA estimated that the variety of folks within the US that plan on betting on the sport has skyrocketed 61 p.c in contrast with final 12 months, and the overall determine of $16bn can also be greater than twice the earlier 12 months’s complete.

That uptick is partly attributable to the rising enlargement of legalised sports activities betting within the US, the place greater than half of all adults now stay in an space the place the follow is authorized, together with 33 states and the capital of Washington, DC.

In line with the AGA, folks within the US positioned almost $58bn in sports activities bets in 2021, greater than double the quantity recorded a 12 months earlier.

The Nationwide Soccer League (NFL) championship sport between the Eagles and Chiefs will happen within the metropolis of Glendale within the western state of Arizona. That is the primary time the Tremendous Bowl is being held in a US state the place sports activities betting is authorized.

The AGA survey discovered bettors evenly break up upfront of the sport, with 44 p.c backing Kansas Metropolis and an similar share betting on Philadelphia. The remaining 12 p.c had been undecided.

The Eagles had been 1.5-point favourites as of Monday night time on FanDuel, the official odds supplier to The Related Press information company.

Led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who’s coping with an ankle damage, the Chiefs are coming into the championship matchup after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on a late-game area purpose on January 29.

The Eagles extra simply secured their Tremendous Bowl spot, cruising to a 31-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers to win the NFC Championship sport.

In an fascinating twist, Sunday’s sport will even mark the primary time two brothers play one another within the Tremendous Bowl, as Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce and Eagles centre Jason Kelce hope to assist their groups to victory.

“It’s a particular second,” stated Travis, who helped Kansas Metropolis to the championship three years in the past. “It’s one thing that, clearly, we’ll keep in mind for the remainder of our lives.”

In final 12 months’s Tremendous Bowl, an thrilling landing within the final 90 seconds gave the Los Angeles Rams a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.