LAS VEGAS — The early Super Bowl money went on the Chiefs, causing betting lines to drop from 2 or 2 1/2 points to 1 or 1 1/2 points, depending on the sportsbook.
Then the professional bettors came in big on the 49ers, pushing the lines back to where they opened.
Westgate dropped all the way to a point before the number rebounded to make San Francisco a 2 1/2-point favorite over Kansas City in Sunday's game. The Niners also are 2 1/2-point favorites at FanDuel Sportsbook.
There are a number of ways to bet the Super Bowl, from the traditional wagering on the point spread and total points to proposition bets that can vary on which player scores the first touchdown to whether the Chiefs and 49ers will combine to score more points than an NBA team.
Jay Kornegay, vice president of the Westgate race and sports operations, said roughly 80% bets on the Chiefs was driven by casual gamblers, but that a number of six-digit bets from the so-called sharps on San Francisco caused the line to move back up.
Caesars Sportsbook received three six-figure wagers and one for $1 million on the Niners to cover the spread or win on the money line. There also was a $200,000 bet on 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to be named MVP.
GIVING PROPS
Westgate put out a 34-page book of proposition bets. Those include:
— Will there be a lead change in the fourth quarter? “No” is the minus-330 favorite, meaning someone would have to wager $100 to win $330. “Yes” is at plus-290, meaning a $100 bet pays $290.
— Will there be overtime? “Yes” is plus-900 and “no” is minus-1,600.
— Which team will call timeout first? Chiefs are minus-125 and 49ers are plus-105.
— Celtics guard Jayson Tatum is a 2 1/2-point favorite to outscore the 49ers when Boston plays the Miami Heat.
— Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is at minus-1/2 to total more receptions than Iowa's Caitlin Clark has 3-pointers against Nebraska.
At FanDuel, Kelce has attracted the most bets (18%) and money (23%) to score the first touchdown among FanDuel gamblers. He also has the most bets (24%) to score a TD at any time and San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey (29%) is responsible for the highest handle.
At BetMGM, 68% of the bets and 76% of the money is for Mahomes to go over 260.5 yards passing. Bettors are similarly bullish on Purdy to surpass 246.5 yards with 67% of the tickets and 64% of the money going that way.
WHY THE PROS LIKE SF
Bruce Marshall, a handicapping expert for VegasInsider, said he projects the 49ers to win by a field goal, with Purdy beating the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes.
“I think it’s going to be taut and tight,” Marshall said. “There are more ways (the Niners) can do it and more playmakers. I know Mahomes is great, but Purdy’s showing me something here, too. He’s getting flack, but he’s leading these comebacks to victory. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
San Francisco rallied to win both playoff games, beating the Green Bay Packers and then the Detroit Lions.