Betting on 2016 Super Bowl futures going into the playoffs can be a pretty good deal. First, overall the odds are advantageous. There’s a good mix of favorites, underdogs, and dark horses from which to choose. Plus, unlike betting on futures prior to the start of the season, the field for the playoffs has been narrowed from 32 teams down to 12. That’s a huge advantage for sports bettors. Finally, unlike Super Bowl futures published prior to the start of the season, bettors have a good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of each team, what their injury situation is, and how well they have performed as of late.
But you don’t want to bet on 2016 Super Bowl futures haphazardly. Before putting any cash down make sure that you perform due diligence. Consider each team, what their chances are of making it to the final game and winning it, and anything that might get in their way. As an example, the Bengals are in the playoffs but their primary quarterback, Andy Dalton, probably won’t play due to the fact that he’s still recovering from a broken thumb. You have to decide if backup AJ McCarron can carry the team all the way.
Super Bowl 2016 Odds
Here are the latest odds for the upcoming Super Bowl.
Arizona Cardinals +$300 (3 to 1)
New England Patriots +$320 (16 to 5)
Carolina Panthers +$600 (6 to 1)
Seattle Seahawks +$800 (8 to 1)
Denver Broncos +$1,000 (10 to 1)
Pittsburgh Steelers +$1,400 (14 to 1)
Green Bay Packers +$1,800 (18 to 1)
Kansas City Chiefs +$2,000 (20 to 1)
Cincinnati Bengals +$2,500 (25 to 1)
Minnesota Vikings +$4,000 (40 to 1)
Washington Redskins +$6,000 (60 to 1)
Houston Texans +$7,000 (70 to 1)
After considering each of the above clubs and properly handicapping them, you will want to pick anywhere from four to six teams on which to bet. You’ll be wagering by placing a specific number of units on each of the teams you choose. It’s advisable to pick half from the AFC and half from the NFC. It’s also a good idea to choose one team from each conference that gets a bye, since they have one less game to win on their way to the championship.
Unit Betting
In the example of our betting strategy, we’ll be working with 20 units total with each worth $10.00. We advise that you utilize, at minimum, 20 units. You’re going to spread you wagers out amongst top teams, middle of the road clubs, and underdogs. Units should be bet in the following manner:
- 11 units on favorites
- 6 units on those between favorites and underdogs
- 3 units on underdogs
How to Arrange Your Bets
Each unit is worth $10, which means if you are placing a four-unit wager, you’re betting $40. On top teams, place either 5.5 units on two teams, one from the AFC and one from the NFC, or more units on one club and fewer on the other. The four teams that are favorites, to varying degrees, are Arizona, Carolina, New England, and Carolina. Three of those clubs are in the NFC, which means the Patriots are our default wager in the AFC. We’re going to put seven units on the Pats and four on the Panthers. Both teams have byes.
The next group of four includes Denver, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, and Kansas City. Denver has a bye. The other team in the same conference as the Broncos is Pittsburgh, which plays Cincinnati in round one. Of those two team, the Broncos and Steelers, which is most likely to get to AFC finals? We’re going with Pittsburgh. Green Bay is the only NFC club, which means you would choose them by default. Place three units on each.
The final group is comprised of the true underdogs, which are Cincinnati, Minnesota, Washington, and Houston. Two are from the AFC and two from the NFC. We’ll take Washington from the NFC for one unit and Cincinnati for two.
Our Bets and Outcomes
Here’s how our bets look:
New England +$320 (16 to 5) 3.2 x $70 = $224 ($24 profit)
Carolina +$600 (6 to 1) 6 x $40 = $240 ($40 profit)
Pittsburgh +$1,400 (14 to 1) 14 x $30 = $420 ($220 profit)
Green Bay +$1,800 (18 to 1) 18 x $30 = $540 ($340 profit)
Cincinnati +$2,500 (25 to 1) 25 x $20 = $500 ($300 profit)
Washington +$6,000 (60 to 1) 60 x $10 = $600 ($400 profit)
With this type of system, you will make very little if one of the favorites wins, but quite a bit more if any of the other four win.
Other Choices
There are other ways to configure your betting. Since NFC teams seem to be favored, three of the four top clubs are from that division you may want to pick more NFC contenders. As an example, placing seven units on the Seahawks rather than the Pats will offer you a payout of $560. Also, placing small one- or two-unit wagers on teams that are at least 20-1 will yield a profit if they win. Consider that $20 on the Chiefs would pay $400.
You may also add more units to your bankroll, placing a greater number of units on favorites without changing any of your other bets. That way you’ll win more if one of the top teams wins. Before adding units, make sure you do the math so that you don’t undercut your possible profit by too much.
However you decide to configure your betting system for 2016 Super Bowl futures make sure that you are increasing your chances of winning and reducing your risk by spreading your wagers around. This gives you the best chance of profiting from futures.
