The NFL season has reached its final weekend. The most-sought-after trophy awaits either the Kansas City Chiefs or the San Francisco 49ers. For the 58th time, one team will be crowned the Super Bowl champion – this time, and for the first time, in Las Vegas.
Sure, for the most part, New Jersey bettors and fans don’t have strong ties to the big game. Not like last year with the Philadelphia Eagles.
That said, New Jersey Super Bowl betting data from DraftKings Sportsbook suggests that the Garden State has made its pick to lift the Lombardi Trophy. What’s more, the NJ sports betting industry stands alone in that regard.
Public betting in New Jersey favors San Francisco 49ers
Heading into the season, depending on the sportsbook you looked at, the Chiefs (+600) and 49ers (+1000) stood as two of the top four favorites to win Super Bowl 58. Now, they face off for the title in a rematch of Super Bowl 54.
Most of the country has put their money on the Chiefs to win their third championship in five years and their second straight Super Bowl – a feat not accomplished since the New England Patriots went back-to-back in 2004 and 2005.
Not New Jersey, though.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook NJ, 62% of the money from Garden State gamblers has backed San Francisco to win their first Super Bowl in nearly 30 years.
Recall four years ago, when the 49ers led 20-10 heading into the fourth quarter, only for Kansas City to put up 21 unanswered points en route to the franchise’s first NFL championship since the 1969 season, when the Super Bowl was in its fifth year using Roman numerals.
San Francisco enters Sunday as Super Bowl 58 favorite
Determining if the majority of New Jersey bettors are right remains to be seen. The 49ers head into Las Vegas as the team to beat, according to sportsbooks, with DraftKings putting the point spread at . In recent years, however, favorites in the Super Bowl have not fared too well.
In the last 10 championships, the favored team has won just four times.
That said, squads going into the big game as the “road” favorite have enjoyed more success, with wins in five of the past seven title games.
What’s more, San Francisco could have enact some vengeance. Four years ago, as mentioned, the Chiefs were favored and rallied to defeat the 49ers. This time around, San Francisco can return the favor.
Record numbers expected from 2024 Super Bowl betting
As with any year, the Super Bowl stands as arguably the most-bet-on event in North America. And the 2024 game could set records, according to a survey from the American Gaming Association.
The organization expects some 67.8 million American adults to wager on Super Bowl 58, reflecting a 35% increase from 2023. All told, per the AGA, bets could exceed $23 billion, up from last year’s total of $16 billion.
How does New Jersey fit into this?
Well, as projected by Legal Sports Report, Super Bowl betting in NJ could generate $115 million in handle, potentially ranking third behind only Nevada ($170 million) and New York ($140 million). Combined, legal sports betting on the Super Bowl could reach $1.29 billion.
