Many fans like to spice up the action when watching the Super Bowl by participating in a Super Bowl squares game or by wagering on many propositions. For some fans, it makes the game a whole lot more interesting to see if they can guess who will be the first to score a touchdown or how many receiving yards Travis Kelce will have.
But there is one prop bet that is being hammered by the public, and it’s for a completely idiotic reason.
Multiple sportsbooks have said they are taking tons of action from fans wagering on the exact score of the game. The wager is that the Philadelphia Eagles will beat the Kansas City Chiefs 37-34.
Most bet (tickets) Super Bowl correct score:
Eagles 37-34 Chiefs
Odds have moved from +25000 to +8000 at @BetMGM pic.twitter.com/TyIjjxWeyG
— John Ewing (@johnewing) February 7, 2023
At @BetMGM, Eagles 37 – Chiefs 34 has become the fourth-shortest odds overall at a price of +8000 after opening at +25000.@FDSportsbook has also reported that this prop has seen the most stakes of any bet in the last 24 hours, only trailing bets of each teams' ML & spread bets. pic.twitter.com/KIk58URMqf
— Covers (@Covers) February 7, 2023
Why are so many people hammering that bet? For the dumbest reason imaginable.
There has been a popular trend on Twitter over the last few weeks that says “NFL rigged.” The idea is that every time there’s a call that helps one team over another, it’s because the league is rigged and the officials are in on the fix. The whole notion is silly, but while the concept may be a joke to some, it’s very real to many others.
Things took an even odder turn when a sarcastic sports show collaborated with a former NFL player to create a satirical sports bit saying that the NFL was scripted. The satirical bit even said players were handed their scripts for the season during training camp.
Well, after that whole bit spread, some idiots took things seriously. In response, a rumor spread that the “script” for this year’s Super Bowl had leaked, which said that the Eagles would beat the Chiefs 37-34. As a result, some people think they have inside info about the game being fixed and have been placing their bets accordingly.
It’s truly unbelievable that there are enough suckers out there who actually believe this. If the Eagles do happen to win 37-34, it will be a mere coincidence, not because the games are scripted.
But this is a big example showing exactly why pro sports leagues avoided any ties to gambling in the past. It also shows why the NFL and other leagues’ choice to be involved with sports gambling is detrimental to the integrity of their products. Now, more than any other time, people are starting to believe the NFL is fixed. That’s not good for the league.
