Phoenix, Rihanna, & the Bills: Predictions for Super Bowl 2023
Each year, the Super Bowl sees the champions of the AFC and the NFC face off in a final game. Super Bowl LVI surprised fans and analysts when two non-favored teams, the LA Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals, faced off. The Rams become the second NFL team in history to win a Super Bowl on home turf—which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers accomplished for the first time the year before in 2021.
The Rams’ home victory marked one of the most exciting elements of the NFL: its unpredictability.
At the moment, Super Bowl odds list the likely winner as the Bills as the favorite above the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. But will these lines shift as the regular season advances toward Week 17? And what else can viewers expect from Super Bowl LVII?
The Basics
Back in 2018, the NFL Hosting Committee switched policies to roll out a new selection process. Rather than accept bids from cities, the committee instead voted on the next hosting location for the championship game. The group chose Phoenix, Arizona, home of the Cardinals.
That said, Super Bowl LVII will be hosted in Phoenix, Arizona on February 12, 2023 and played at State Farm Stadium, which is located just outside the city in Glendale, Arizona. Super Bowl LVII marks the fourth time the state’s capital has hosted the championship game.
Taking over from previous sponsors Pepsi, Apple will now host the halftime show. In late September, Rihanna renounced her ban on the Super Bowl (undertaken in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick) and announced she would serve as the half-time performer.
Fox Sports will broadcast the game nationally on television, while Westwood One will create a radio broadcast. Fox’s new broadcasting team includes Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Rinaldi, and Greg Olsen, who will join vet Erin Andrews.
Sportsbooks Favor the Bills… For Now
As mentioned above, oddsmakers are eyeing the Bills, Chiefs, and Eagles as top contenders for Super Bowl LVII. However, as highlighted by last year’s championship game, underdogs can throw a wrench into even the most solid predictions.
So what makes these three teams top options?
The Chiefs have a stellar offense—but this year they won’t have wide receiver Tyreek Hill to work magic with all-star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The team’s incredible offense might not add up to much if Mahomes doesn’t have a reliable receiver. In Week 3, their upset loss to the Colts also highlighted a need for a quality kicker.
The Eagles, on the other hand, are surpassing expectations. They have a quality lineup for both offense and defense. Most importantly of all, they have Jalen Hurts. The quarterback has quickly become one of the league’s hottest topics—but he still remains unproven in the eyes of many. Will he show his worth as the regular season unfolds?
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills have hit a stumbling block early in the season. As mentioned above, Mahomes’ former partner in crime, wide receiver Hill, has moved to the Dolphins. Hill is an experienced player who is in his prime—and just helped catapult his new team to a win over the Bills. New head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa are also performing at the top of their game, leading the Dolphins to a 21-19 win over the Super Bowl favorites.
The Bills need to strengthen their defense and protect quarterback Josh Allen… or watch the Dolphins become one of the Super Bowl’s biggest dark horses.
Prop Betting Gaining Popularity
Betting on the Super Bowl winner is one of the most popular sports bets in the US. It’s a futures bet for many, who choose to place their wager on the winner as soon as the previous Super Bowl concludes. But some sports fans (and non-sports fans) prefer to bet on other outcomes.
Player props are a huge trend in Super Bowl betting. These focus on the performance of individual players, typically those with the greatest playmaking abilities, like quarterbacks, wide receivers, and running backs. Other common props predict the Super Bowl MVP, or how many yards a quarterback will throw for, or which player will score the first touchdown.
The more granular, the better. But not all prop bets focus on sporting outcomes. Some instead focus on purely entertainment-based outcomes, like the result of the opening coin toss, what color Gatorade will be dumped on the winning coach, and what sort of outfit the National Anthem singer will wear.
Sounds weird? That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Of the 110 million Super Bowl viewers, not all are watching the football game—and not all are betting on the game itself.
A Rihanna Special
Many Super Bowl viewers wager instead on the halftime show. Sportsbooks release prop bet lines on the performer based on studying their previous concerts and events. Those who think they know Rihanna well can wager on things like what song she performs first, how many outfit changes she will undergo, and whether there will be a special guest performance.
In a callback to the infamous 2004 Super Bowl Janet Jackson-Justin Timberlake incident, one of the most common halftime bets is whether the performer will experience a wardrobe malfunction. Similarly, Katy Perry’s ‘left shark’ has also popularized mascot and dancer malfunctions.
A Commercial Success
Aside from the halftime performance, the NFL seeks to make its championship game stand out with a long reel of highly anticipated corporate commercials. Top brands from the US pay millions upon millions for prime broadcasting slots, and some bettors study previous ad reels to wager on the outcome of commercial breaks.
So, what can viewers bet on in terms of commercial break props? Many choose to wager on which ads will appear and in what order. Others focus on which celebrities will feature in the commercials and represent certain brands. Then there’s the brands that work with the same celebs time and time again, like Michelob Ultra’s contract with Peyton Manning. One of the most popular props for the 2022 Super Bowl was betting on which phrase Manning would say first in the Michelob commercial.
All part of the Super Bowl fun!
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