Super Bowl 57: Gambling predictions and off-field storylines

The 57th installment of America’s greatest tradition kicks off Sunday afternoon in Glendale, Arizona, as the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, but what are viewers really tuning in to watch?

58% of Americans think the Eagles will beat the Chiefs on Sunday.

The game on Sunday will be a clash between two of the best teams in the NFL, both led by outstanding quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. But Savanta was interested to learn what else is compelling American viewers to tune in on Sunday outside of the game; and where people are putting their money this year. We surveyed 1000 people who will be watching the game on Sunday, and here is what they had to say.

The ads

TV ads are an integral part of Super Bowl Sunday; many Americans will tell you this is the only day of the year when they are happy to watch commercials, the data backs this up as 92% of viewers say they excited for the ads on Sunday. A significant figure, over one-third of Americans (36%) say they are only watching the Super Bowl to see the new commercials this year.

When asked if there were any particular brands they were anticipating, 1 in 5 (21%) said Budweiser. Thinking back before this year, American Super Bowl viewers say Doritos (45%) is known to have the best Super Bowl ads. Other brands Americans should be looking out for are Coca-Cola (39%) and Pepsi (38%), perhaps an ode to the iconic “Cola Wars” that took over the 1990s. Whether it’s the Clydesdales, the Polar Bears, or Larry David telling you not to invest in crypto, you can pretty much guarantee that one of the biggest stars on Sunday will be a commercial.

Despite celebrity endorsements presenting as commonplace across the Super Bowl ad environment, the potential for brands to miss the mark is apparent to audiences as well. 1 in 3 Americans recalls a time when a Super Bowl ad missed the mark on a celebrity endorsement.

This is what you came for

After the ads, the next best supporting element of the Super Bowl is the halftime show, or as the NFL calls “the most watched musical performance of the year.” This year will be an Apple Music production headlined by Rihanna. Many will tune in again this year per usual, with two-thirds (66%) of Super Bowl viewers planning to stick around and watch the halftime show. There were mixed reviews when asked what they thought of the NFL’s selection of Rihanna to lead the show. 60% say this is an exciting choice. However, only 45% say Rihanna is a better performer than those they recall watching in recent years.

Savanta’s gambling corner

Last but not least are novelty props and sports betting. Technically, sports gambling has only been legal across the US for a few years, but novelty props and betting on the big game have been around for decades. Nearly half (44%) of Super Bowl viewers this year say they will partake in gambling on Sunday, whether it’s anything from placing bets in an actual sportsbook, playing fantasy football, to buying a Super Bowl square.

If you’re not big into the game, no need to worry. There are some other things you can gamble on this Sunday, and here are America’s picks for them:

The coin toss

The math says it’s a 50/50 split to roll either way, but America says heads (63%)

Length of the National Anthem

The national anthem will be performed live by country music singer Chris Stapelton during the pregame. The line for the anthem length is over/under two minutes and 5 seconds via DraftKings. Only 24% of Americans are predicting the under. Anyone familiar with Chris Stapelton or the hit song “Tennessee Whiskey” will recognize his classic slow musical temperament, meaning it’s probably wise to avoid betting the under here.

Color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach

This one is almost as big of a coin toss than the actual coin toss itself when it comes to predicting a winner. Orange is both the betting favorite from the sportsbooks (+250 via BetMGM) and Savanta’s surveyed respondents (21%). For historical context, orange has been the most frequent color of Gatorade showers since this tradition began in 1980. However, blue is the defending champion after the Rams’ Super Bowl victory last year.

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