Superbowl Special

It’s Superbowl time across the pond and this means gambling opportunities galore for the open-minded punter. This year the game is being played in Tampa, Florida, and features the mighty defence of the Pittsburgh Steelers against the flamboyant passing attack of the Arizona Cardinals. The NFL’s growing popularity in the UK has prompted most bookies to open up a broad range of markets from the mundane to the weird and wonderful. With this in mind the team have put together a selection of picks to illustrate the whole range of options and suit every punter.

The Game
In a two-horse race like this one you wouldn’t expect the market to offer too much value and the Steelers are heavy favourites at as little as 2/5 with many big bookmakers (Ladbrokes, Sky Bet, BetFred). You can shop around to find 10/23 with Boylesport, but the real value comes from the handicap market. The points spread is offering Arizona +7 in many places and this could be a generous offer. No one is quite sure how Cardinals’ offensive line will handle Pittsburgh’s blitz-happy defence. If they can keep QB Kurt Warner upright then the Card’s receivers could have some joy. If this is the case those 7 points could make all the difference, not to mention allowing you to cover yourself in the event of an upset.

Arizona +7 @ 20/23 BetFred

The Players
There is a wealth of markets for player bets in the Superbowl. Most popular is the market for Most Valuable Player. This award is basically Man of the Match and is generally wide open. There is plenty of value here, particularly since I don’t expect either Quarterback to have a stellar game. Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has been fantastic in the playoffs and could be a good shout if things go the Cardinals’ way, but at anywhere between 5 and 8/1 there doesn’t appear to be much value for a man whose team is a heavy underdog. My view is that the best value is to be found with the poster boy of the Pittsburgh defence, Troy Polamalu. BetFred are offering 18/1 on the long-haired tackling machine who will almost certainly be central if the Steelers D dominates, definitely worth a pop. If you fancy taking a punt on a darkhorse, Arizona’s rookie sensation cornerback, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has been on fire in the playoffs and has some great value at 80/1.

Most Valuable Player
Troy Polamalu (Pit) @18/1 BetFred
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Ari) @ 80/1 Ladbrokes

The Bizarre
There really are markets for everything in this game. Personal favourites are the coin toss (nothing like throwing money at 50-50 pure chance) and the yardage assessed on the first penalty. I’m going for the market on whether Kurt Warner will throw a Touchdown pass before he throws an Interception. Ladbrokes will give you 4/6 for a TD while BetFred is offering 6/5 on an INT. I’m backing Kurt on this one, he’s seen it all before and he’s rejuvenated this year - a good combination in a big game. He’ll get one early.
What will be thrown first? – Kurt Warner

Touchdown pass @ 4/6 Ladbrokes