We’re getting closer to the kickoff in Tampa Bay for Super Bowl LV. The 55th edition of the big game will feature some major star power as Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady lead their respective teams.

There are thousands of bets and props available at the top US sportsbooks like DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook leading up to the big game. And there are also some opportunities to get involved for free with pools and squares contests.

It’ll be interesting to see if the guy in your office can get that sheet full via Slack and Zoom this year instead of popping by your desk.

1. 2 days ago NFL DFS for 2021 Super Bowl: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy football picks, stacks, strategy SportsLine's Mike McClure, a DFS pro with almost $2M in winnings, gives optimal lineup advice.
2. 1 day ago  Jason Robins, DraftKings Inc. Chief executive officer, discusses sports betting ahead of the Super Bowl with Bloomberg's Caroline Hyde, Romaine Bostick and Taylor Riggs on.

Here is a look at the best pools and contests. We will be adding more here as we get closer to Feb. 7.

The Colorado sports betting market just took one of the largest bets in Super Bowl history. Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale wagered $3.46 million via DraftKings on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the current +3.5 spread (-127). 2 days ago  DraftKings DFS Captain Position - Super Bowl Picks. Patrick Mahomes - KC@ TB ($18,000). We might as well discuss the elephant in the room. Patrick Mahomes is the highest.

DraftKings

2020 was a huge year for DraftKings. They really transitioned from a DFS/sports betting company to what they’ve now titled a “sports entertainment tech” company. While the world sat on the sidelines during the start of the pandemic, DK rolled out a ton of freeplay pools to keep players active and the site humming.

• For Super Bowl LV, DraftKings has a 10-prop contest all focused around the fourth quarter called the $55 Million Prediction Challenge.Sign up for free here, make the picks, and hold on to see if you cash in the million-dollar pool. You will have to answer questions like, “Which team will score more points in the fourth quarter?,” and “Will the fourth quarter two-minute warning happen at the two-minute mark?”
• DK will also bring back the Super Bowl Squares contest that they’ve run in previous years. $55,000 is on the line in DraftKings’ Super Bowl Squares contest and it is free to play, even for residents of states outside of where sports betting is legal. Select a square, numbers get revealed at kickoff, and prizes will be paid out each quarter.
• And the last one here is quite unique, as DK will be running a Big Game SnackDown Pool. Entry is $0 and the prize pool is a whopping $100,000. The SnackDown is a Major League Eating event in which America’s top competitive eaters will plow through an eight-layer dip, pepperoni pizza, boneless wings, chili, a sub sandwich, cheese balls, pigs in a blanket and jalapeno peppers. These snacks will be set up in a steeplechase format. DraftKings users will have to correctly pick which eater will come in first place, second place and third place, and will have to answer questions like, “Will any contestant finish a whole pepperoni pizza in one minute or less?”

FanDuel

FanDuel has rolled out a cool promotion for the Super Bowl, allowing virtually anyone to get involved for free while watching the game.

Sign up or login to FanDuel by going here and get your card for Big Game Bingo. The card features 24 props for the Super Bowl. The site will fill the squares automatically as each prop hits. Top prize is $10,000 and thousands of users will get free DFS tickets and cash.

FanDuel also has a $3.55 Million NFL Big Game Bowl, where the winner will receive a $1 million prize. The entry fee is $4.44.

Free sports betting promotions

The top sportsbooks in the US have a ton of Risk Free bet offers and free money promos to celebrate Super Bowl LV. Here are some of the top offers:

DraftKings Sportsbook: DK is back with one of its fantastic “No Brainer” offers. New users will double their money if a touchdown is scored in the Super Bowl. That’s a pretty safe bet with Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady on the field. Sign up for DraftKings Sportsbook by going here.

PointsBet: PointsBet is running a “Big Game Goat Insurance” promotion for Super Bowl LV. You can bet on either team to win the game, and you will get money back up to $50 if your team loses by 43 points or less. That’s another lock, considering the biggest loss in Brady’s college or NFL career was 35 points and the largest loss of Mahomes’ NFL career was 8 points. Sign up for PointsBet by going here.

If you are unsure of whether or not you are legally allowed to bet on sports in your state for the Super Bowl, go here.

How busy was Championship Sunday for online sportsbooks?

Pennsylvania market leader FanDuelexperienced technical difficulties that drew the ire of users trying to log on during the NFC Championship game.

Jason Scott, VP of trading at BetMGM, said:

“The Buccaneers upsetting the Packers was the best result BetMGM has had on a single event in 12 months. The public won some money back on the Chiefs but Sunday was still a very profitable day.”

At DraftKings, Championship Sunday was big. The AFC Championship game (Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas Chiefs) and the NFC Championship game (Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Green Bay Packers) rank No. 1 and No. 2 respectively for the biggest handle ever for a playoff game at DraftKings. According to Johnny Avello, head of sportsbook and gaming operations at DraftKings:

“It was really big. It was probably our biggest day ever.”

For now.

“It’s going to continue to happen as we expand.”

DraftKings launched in Pennsylvania in the fall of 2019 and quickly established itself as the No. 2 operator in terms of handle and revenue (although in December, Barstool led for revenue). Last week, DraftKings arrived in two new states, Michigan and Virginia. We were curious what the popular sportsbook expects for Super Bowl betting this year.

The following interview with Avello has been edited for length and clarity.

Supersize handle

For the 2020 Super Bowl, bettors in legalized markets across the country wagered nearly $270 million. It marked the first Super Bowl that gamblers in Pennsylvania could wager online. Pennsylvania posted Super Bowl handle of $30.7 million in 2020, with $24 million being placed online.

What is Avello’s prediction for Super Bowl LV handle?

He couldn’t offer a number, but he did say it would be record-breaking:

“There is no doubt in my mind this Super Bowl will be the biggest of all time, especially since we added two new states.”

DraftKings promos

For the first game of the NFL season, DraftKings ran a “no brainer” promo that had the Chiefs +101 against the Houston Texans. On Championship Sunday, there were 50% boosts on markets such as “first team to score” and “anytime touchdown scorer.” On Monday, DraftKings posted an “Early Bird Big Game Profit Boost” that gives a 55% boost on any Super Bowl LV bet.

Where do DraftKings’ promos come from, and why are they such a big part of the marketing plan?

“Our promo team led by Lexi Janson is great. They do a great job coming up with different things you haven’t seen in the market before. It’s a big deal for us because we want to separate ourselves from other operators in various ways. You want to have the best app, the best customer service and best promos, too. We try to be the best at everything we do. That team has really outdone themselves over the past year.”

Have users already seen the best promos?

Draftkings Super Bowl Props Printable

“The team is so innovative and hardworking. I don’t think you’ve seen their best.”

In-game betting

Judging from Twitter, my experience and group chats I was in on Sunday, it seemed that there was a decent amount of live betting going on. Can you comment on the volume on live betting? Have you seen an increase in live betting from week to week?

“There is no question that it’s grown throughout the year, and it will continue to grow. Live wagering used to be the game and the total, and now there is so much more in there. As we continue to come up with new offerings, it will continuously grow.”

Player props

DraftKings added a section in the app with information about player props. There are hundreds of markets for the Super Bowl, and player props are very popular. How have you seen this market grow?

Draftkings Super Bowl Bets

“If you look at Super Bowl props going back a year or two ago, you would see certain ones only for the Super Bowl. You may also see them on Championship Sunday but not at the magnitude of the Super Bowl. What we have done at DraftKings this year is we’ve put up a Super Bowl menu for every game. We’ve added new props and will continue to add some. Our players have become comfortable with props by seeing them from week to week.”

Brady bettors

You have been a bookmaker throughout Brady’s career; do bettors back or fade him?

“When he was with the Patriots, there was a love/hate between him and some of the bettors. I spoke to some people over the years who made a sportsbook living betting on the Patriots. There are always a bunch out there who root for the underdog.

“This year, they may bet against him because they feel he lost a little edge or is going against a better team. I think moving to Tampa Bay took some of the ‘bet against Brady’ away. He did a remarkable job down there. Who knows if they would have made it without him? He lived up to expectations, and when he announced he was going to Tampa, we took a ton of money on the Bucs to win the Super Bowl. People have continued to bet the Buccaneers to win the Super Bowl throughout the season.”

Bucs and Chiefs biggest liabilities for the book

Since Brady signed with the Bucs in the offseason, the Buccaneers are the most-bet team at DraftKings to win the Super Bowl. They are DraftKings’ biggest Super Bowl liability.

Their second-biggest liability is the Kanas City Chiefs.

So, who is DraftKings rooting for on Super Bowl Sunday?

“You let that go. When you have a future book and you are in that spot, you let it go. It will play out however it plays out, and you book the game normally.”

Adrenaline still flows for veteran bookmaker

It’s your 36th Super Bowl as a bookmaker. What gets you excited for the game?

“There is a lot of hard work involved by the staff. As the week goes on, we will add new props; then the game starts and there is in-game wagering. What has always gotten me excited is the booking part of it. We have multiple decisions on the game, and whether you win or lose them, that’s when the adrenaline flows. The biggest decision will be on the game itself, but there will be other significant decisions on all the offerings we have up. Bookmakers get excited about bookmaking.”

When will you see the majority of money come in?

“Starting Saturday night through kickoff. The last 18 hours is when you’ll see the majority of the money come in.”

Draftkings Super Bowl Squares

Lead image credit: AP Photo/Charles Krupa