Super Bowl 2013 Prop Bets: Alternative point spreads offer big profits

The point spread for Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVII started off with San Francisco favored by 4.5 points at most sportsbooks, then dropped to 3.5 points.

But most Super Bowl betting outlets, including Bovada, are also offering alternative point spreads for the Big Game, giving bettors the chance to chase a price while giving a few points on the spread.

For instance, as of Wednesday morning, San Francisco was a 4-point favorite at Bovada over Baltimore for the Super Bowl.

But bettors who think the Niners might win this game by considerably more than that spread can play San Fran at -7.5 points getting +170 on their money; at -10.5 points getting +250; at -13.5 getting +325; at -14.5 getting +375; at -17.5 getting +550; and in serious blow-out mode the 49ers could be played at -20.5 points getting a price of +650.

On the other side of this Super Bowl 47 proposition bettors who think the Ravens won’t even need the 3.5 points on the spread, and might win this game outright, can bet Baltimore giving 3.5 points getting a price of +250; at -7.5 points getting +500; at -10.5 points getting +700; and giving -13.5 points getting a fat +900.

Last year the Giants, who were 3.5-point underdogs on the regular spread, beat the Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl 46. In doing so New York covered an alternative point spread of -3.5 points, which paid out at a price of +200.

Three years ago the Saints, who were four-point underdogs, beat the Colts by 14 points in the Super Bowl; five years ago the Giants, as 12-point dogs, beat the Patriots outright to claim the Lombardi Trophy.

In fact, the point-spread underdogs have won three of the last five Super Bowls outright.

Overall, underdogs have won 14 of the first 46 Super Bowls.