Super Bowl Squares: What They Are And How To Bet

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The Super Bowl is the crown jewel of American sports and a sports bettors paradise. The annual matchup between the AFC and NFC champions determines which team wins the Lombardi Trophy and is forever enshrined in NFL glory.

While the Super Bowl is regularly the most-watched television event in America, it’s also a time for sports bettors to test their skills in a variety of markets.

Bettors can wager on anything from the color of the Gatorade that’s dunked on the winning coach to the length of the national anthem or the result of the coin toss (in addition to the standard moneylines, spreads, totals and prop bets).

One unique type of Super Bowl bet is Super Bowl squares. Squares are played on a bingo-like board and don’t directly depend on the winner of the game, making them engaging for everyone regardless of their rooting interest.

Here, we will go over everything there is to know about Super Bowl squares, what the best bets are, how to place a Super Bowl squares bet and more.

What Are Super Bowl Squares?

Picture this: a 10-by-10 grid where rows and columns are numbered 0 to 9. One of the Super Bowl competitors is listed across the top of the columns and the other along the rows.

Although the numbers can be randomly assigned in more casual settings, let’s pretend they’re listed in standard counting order (0, 1, 2, etc.).

In this scenario, the intersection of the second row and the second column would be 1:1. The intersection of the sixth row and sixth column would be 5:5.

Each square relates to an outcome at a significant juncture in the game, either at the end of a certain quarter, half or the full game (depending on the chosen market — there should be a description at the top of the betting menu).

To participate, all a bettor needs to do is pick the square that you believe will win. It could be 4:9, 8:2, 7:7 or anything their heart desires.

Any number that isn’t the final (or right-most) digit in the score is irrelevant — all that matters is that the number in the bettor’s square matches the last digit on the scoreboard. The catch is that both teams must match the selected square’s score for the bet to cash.

How To Win Super Bowl Squares

Let’s look at Super Bowl LVII as an example. The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles were tied 7-7 after the first quarter, so anyone who chose a first-quarter square of 7:7 won their square.

If the score had been 17-17, the bet still would have cashed since the last digit in each score matched the 7:7 square. The same goes for 27-27, 37-37 and yes, 107-107 (which would be entertainment in its purest form).

If Philadelphia had made a field goal and ended the quarter leading 10-7, then a square with Eagles 0:7 Chiefs would have won instead of the 7:7 square. The same goes for Eagles 20-17 Chiefs, Eagles 0-47 Chiefs and so on.

The Eagles were winning 24-14 at the end of the first half, meaning a 4:4 bet would’ve cashed for all end-of-first-half squares. The same would apply if the score were 4-4 (an eight-safety thriller), 14-14, 34-34 – you get the idea.

Remember the New England Patriots’ wild comeback from 28-3 down against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI? Even the strongest Falcons supporters could have offset the heartbreak from the loss by cashing in on Super Bowl squares.

The game ended 34-28 in favor of the Patriots. Based on that, all end-of-game squares that corresponded to Patriots 4:8 Falcons cashed. However, all squares corresponding to Patriots 8:4 Falcons were graded as losers since the numbers were correct but were assigned to the wrong team.

Super Bowl Squares Prizes

Prizes can vary in amount and method of dissemination.

One way to determine the prize structure is to charge a flat amount for each square and award the winner the cost of every square once the entire board is filled. For example, if a square costs $10, there are 100 squares available and 100 participants, the prize would be $1,000.

Another way to determine the prize for Super Bowl squares is to add the total amount of wagers placed, split them into four (one for each quarter of the game) and give each end-of-quarter winner their 25% split of the whole pot. These methods are common in office parties, friendly get-togethers and unofficial contests.

However, sportsbooks often don’t take such a balanced approach. Instead, squares either differ in cost or have different payout odds depending on the likelihood a particular square wins, just like they would for a standard wager in a major market.

For example, a square involving the number two (an unusual outcome) might have longer odds than a square with seven — the most common scoring denomination in the NFL.

The payout method should be specified by a sportsbook (if not implied by betting odds).

Super Bowl Squares Tips

Betting on squares can be more than a shot in the dark. In fact, oddsmakers will tell you their favorite square based on the spread and Over/Under.

Imagine the Baltimore Ravens are facing the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. If the spread is Ravens -4 with an Over/Under of 52, the oddsmakers expect the game to finish Ravens 28, 49ers 24 (Ravens win by four in a game with 52 total points).

The implication is that the most likely Super Bowl square to win is Ravens 8:4 49ers. There’s no guarantee that square will win, but it can serve as a reference point for bettors when they make their picks.

Super Bowl Squares Review

Squares are a fun way of placing atypical yet simple bets that aren’t determined by which team wins the game. They depend on the final digit in each team’s score and allow bettors to try to pick the final score (but with less risk than an exacta).

The best way to be competitive in squares betting is to remember the value of critical numbers, follow the trends and use the information provided by the oddsmakers.

Now that you’re armed with the tools you need to bet on Super Bowl squares, go out there and win.