Will XLVIII line jump to a field goal?
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (The Spread) – If you’ve patiently waited for the point spread to jump to three for Super Bowl XLVIII, you could be rewarded soon.
View Updated Super Bowl XLVIII
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Seahawks are currently 3-point underdogs for Super Bowl XLVIII, but most books in Las Vegas have been reluctant to push the number to a field goal. Things might be changing, however.
Denver opened as a 2-point favorite and while the line dipped to 1.5 on Thursday morning, it quickly shot back up to 2 at most online and Vegas sports books. But with 71-percent of public bettors on the Broncos, books in “Sin City” may be forced to up the ante in order to attract more Seattle backers.
As of early Saturday afternoon, the Las Vegas Hilton, MGM Mirage and Wynn LV, among others, have bumped the spread up to 2.5. But with the number still sitting below a field goal, oddsmakers may be forced to move the line to 3 if they want to entice Seattle bettors out from hiding.
Chances are good that if books start to move the line to 3 that they’ll also play with the juice. For example, most spreads carry a 10-percent juice, meaning that bettors would have to pony up $110.00 to cash in $100.00 on any straight up bet. But if the line moves to 3, oddsmakers may force bettors wagering on Seattle to pay -115, -120 or -125 in juice. This is a way for books to somewhat protect themselves as they remain reluctant to move the spread to a field goal.
If you like the Seahawks, your best book remains Bovada.lv, but don’t wait. Unless sharps get involved, the spread is highly unlikely to go higher than 3 and right now the juice remains -110 at Bovada. Again, if you like Seattle, there’s no reason to wait to see if the odds will change because your best value remains right now.
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