Super Bowl 2015: Early Betting Odds, Point Spread, Over/Under For Seahawks vs. Patriots

Prior to the NFC Championship Game, the Seattle Seahawks were projected to be favored by at least a field goal over either potential Super Bowl 2015 opponent. Now that the matchup has been set between the Seahawks and New England Patriots, the betting odds are no longer in favor of the defending champs.

The point spread has settled at a pick’em at multiple Las Vegas casinos. Early action from the betting public was on the Patriots, which forced some sportsbooks to make New England a one-point favorite. Since neither team is favored, the moneyline for both Seattle and New England is -110.

As the game approaches, New England could find itself as the consensus favorite. According to vegasinsider.com, the betting line has never been a pick’em at the start of any Super Bowl. Two teams have been favored by just one point, and they both went on to win the game.

Seattle was a 2.5-point underdog in last year’s game, and the favorites have underperformed in recent seasons. The underdog in the Super Bowl has won, outright, three years in a row, and has covered the spread in six of the last seven title games. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have been favored in four of their five Super Bowl appearances with New England.

The NFC and AFC champs find themselves in an unfamiliar position, as they are both used to being favorites. The Seahawks have only been underdogs once this season, getting one point, prior to their 19-3 victory in San Francisco on Thanksgiving. The Patriots were not favored in their trip to Green Bay, which saw them lose by five points.

The over/under is likely to change in the two weeks before the Super Bowl. The total opened at 48.5 points, but the line has moved to 49 and 49.5 at some Las Vegas casinos.

Even though Seattle has the league’s best defense, the over/under is higher than the total that has been set for most Super Bowls in recent years. The last 12 Super Bowls have featured nine over/unders of 48 points or less. The over/under for last year’s game between Seattle and Denver was 47.5 points.

None of Seattle’s last nine games have totaled more than 48 points in regulation, though their overtime win in the NFC Championship Game totaled 50 points. Both of New England’s 2015 playoff wins totaled 52 points or more.