Super Bowl 48 matches up the teams that most thoroughly dominated their respective conferences this season, as the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks advanced with conference championship wins on Sunday.
While the Seahawks opened as short favorites across Las Vegas, there was heavy early action on the Broncos, and within about 30 minutes of original numbers being posted, Denver became the favorite all over town.
“As soon as we posted it (Seattle -1.5), we immediately got Denver action, both large and small,” said South Point sports book director Bert Osborne, who moved Denver to the 1-point favorite within 18 minutes of putting the game on the board, to -2 later Sunday evening, and then to -2.5 on Monday.
The early line movement at other Vegas bet shops has been similar.
The LVH SuperBook gave the Seahawks the most respect, opening them a 2-point favorite, but adjusted the game to a pick ‘em shortly thereafter. By Monday morning, Denver was -1.5 at the LVH.
“Broncos support continues to come in,” SuperBook assistant manager Jeff Sherman noted on Twitter, upon the decision to move the game to a pick ‘em.
“We thought Seattle should have been -2 just because we think they’re better prepared than Denver to play in the possible conditions at the Meadowlands,” SuperBook VP Jay Kornegay told The Linemakers on Sporting News.
Coast Resorts went from pick ‘em to Denver -2.5 within 25 minutes, and Station Casinos – the only book to open Denver as the favorite – was at -3 about 20 minutes later.
Cantor Gaming opened the game a pick ‘em. William Hill and the Wynn both opened Seattle -1, and MGM Resorts posted -1.5. All those venues, though, were dealing Denver as the favorite within about a half an hour.
By Monday morning, the line sat between Denver -1.5 and -2.5.
The early money may be the result of bettors simply finding value with the underdog in a game between two evenly-matched clubs.
“I firmly believe if the line had opened Broncos -2½, it would be Seattle -1 everywhere right now,” tweeted Chris Bennett, a colleague of Kornegay and Sherman at the LVH.
The two Super Bowl participants dominated the top of futures boards around Las Vegas all season, and this marks the first time since 2009 that the top two top seeds have advanced to title game.
Both squads have been profitable bets. The Seahawks are 12-6 ATS on the season, while the Broncos own an 11-6-1 spread record.
The Super Bowl is set for Sunday, Feb. 2, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
For our complete Super Bowl opening point spread report, visit The Linemakers on Sporting News.
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