Sportsbooks take a hit on Patriots Super Bowl win, but losses mitigated by UNDER on point total

The New England Patriots took home their sixth Lombardi Trophy, beating the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 53 by a final score of 13-3. It was a fairly atrocious football game, with only the most diehard of defensive football fans able to enjoy this game.

The Rams opened as one-point favorites shortly after the AFC title game ended, but the betting public jumped all over the Patriots. It swung the line to Patriots -2.5 and that’s where things settled for the most part over the two weeks leading up to the game. The game was close until late in the fourth quarter, but the Rams were unable to cover the spread.

The point total opened at 57.5, tying the record high from Super Bowl 51. The UNDER was initially hit, dropped down to 56, and then saw the over hammered. They could have cut the point total in half and it still would have been way too high. Neither team could get a touchdown on the board until Sony Michel finally punched one in midway through the fourth quarter. New England added a field goal and the point total finished at 16.

Virtually every sportsbook took a rough hit from the Patriots covering, but it was offset to a certain degree by the UNDER hitting. For example, at William Hill, 56 percent of money wagered on the point spread was on the Patriots, while 52 percent of money was on the over. Most sportsbooks will take a loss, but the low scoring game likely saved their butts to a certain degree.