So what’s the $100 million-dollar question?
That’s a good question in it of itself, and one that should be in a lot of people’s minds leading up to Super Bowl XLVIII.
The game is expected to be one of the most heavily bet-on games of the calendar year, but will it be enough to break Super Bowl XLVII’s record betting handle of $98.9 million?
That’s the $100 million-dollar question.
Popular sentiment says that the record is ripe for the picking, especially with a game that’s so close the lines aren’t expected to even move past three points on either side. The Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks may not be popular national teams, but that shouldn’t be a problem with Peyton Manning involved in the game.
It’s become no secret that pretty much everybody and their grandmama are rooting for Manning to win his second Super Bowl and the early trend points – the public pounded on the Broncos as soon as the lines were released, forcing books to move it to Broncos -1 from Seahawks -1.5.
For its part, the Seattle Seahawks, specifically cornerback Richard Sherman, have successfully painted themselves as the villain leading up to the game. Right or wrong, that’s what it’s turned into for Sherman and company, giving people even more incentive to drop money on the AFC champions.
Ultimately, the most direct correlation towards a record-breaking Super Bowl handle is the country’s economy. That was the case back in 2006 when the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seahawks played in Super Bowl XL, collecting a staggering $94.5 million handle.
Since then, the economic turmoil in the US has resulted in fewer wagers being made during the game, including Super Bowl XLIV when two marque quarterbacks – Manning and Drew Brees – played and won by Brees’ Saints. The handle for that game? $82.7 million.
Last year’s record can be attributed to a rebounding economy and if the trend continues, there’s a good chance that Super Bowl XLVIII will break that $100 million betting handle threshold. The combination of a good economy, a marque player like Peyton Manning, and a clear delineation between good (the Broncos) and evil (the Seahawks) is shaping up to the perfect recipe towards breaking last year’s betting handle record.
The answer should be revealed in the days after the game, although we won’t be surprised if a new record is set – handily.
