Super Bowl Prop Bets and Legal Wagering: Your 2024 State-by-State Playbook

No single sporting event moves more money through sportsbooks than the Super Bowl. Estimates from the American Gaming Association have consistently placed total Super Bowl wagering in the billions — and that number keeps climbing as legal sports betting spreads across the country. Whether you're a seasoned sharp or someone who only bets once a year, the Big Game is your moment.

But before you fire off a bet on whether the coin toss lands heads or tails, there are two things you need to know: where you can legally place that wager, and how to avoid the traps that suck money out of casual bettors every February. Let's break it all down.

The Legal Landscape: Where Can You Actually Bet?

Since the Supreme Court's 2018 Murphy v. NCAA ruling opened the door for states to legalize sports betting, the map has changed dramatically. As of 2024, more than 35 states plus Washington D.C. have some form of legal sports wagering — though the specifics vary widely.

Here's a quick rundown of where things stand heading into Super Bowl season:

States With Full Legal Online Sports Betting

These states offer robust, competitive markets with multiple licensed sportsbooks operating online:

• New Jersey — One of the most mature markets in the country, with heavy competition keeping odds sharp.
• Pennsylvania — A large, active market with strong mobile options.
• Colorado — Competitive odds and a wide range of operators.
• Michigan — Growing fast, with solid mobile platforms available statewide.
• Illinois — Large population, strong market, though registration rules have evolved.
• Virginia — Online-only market that's become one of the most competitive in the Southeast.
• New York — Legal and operational, though tax rates have kept margins higher than neighboring states.
• Arizona, Tennessee, Indiana, Iowa — All fully operational with online access.

States With In-Person Only or Limited Options

• Mississippi — Retail betting at casinos only; no statewide mobile.
• Montana and Oregon — State-run betting options with limited scope.
• New Mexico — Tribal casinos offer retail wagering.

States Where Sports Betting Remains Illegal

• California — Despite multiple ballot initiatives, legal sports betting hasn't passed yet. This is a major gap given the state's size.
• Texas — No legal sports betting, though legislative efforts continue.
• Florida — A complex legal situation; mobile betting through the Seminole Tribe's Hard Rock Bet has faced court challenges.
• Georgia, Minnesota, Missouri — All have had active legislative pushes but haven't crossed the finish line.

If you're in a state without legal options, playing on internationally licensed platforms like 98Abet is worth exploring — just make sure you understand the rules in your jurisdiction.

Understanding the Super Bowl Betting Board

The Super Bowl prop bet menu is unlike anything else in sports wagering. We're talking hundreds of markets — from game-related bets to pure entertainment props that have nothing to do with the final score.

Knowing the difference between smart plays and sucker bets is the key to not burning through your bankroll before halftime.

Game Props: Where the Real Value Hides

Game props tied to actual performance are generally where sharper bettors focus their energy. These include things like:

• Player passing/rushing/receiving yards — Quarterback yardage totals and skill-position props are heavily researched and can offer value if you've done your homework on matchups.
• First team to score — Sounds simple, but the opening possession can be influenced by injury reports, weather, and recent offensive tendencies.
• Total touchdowns by a specific player — Anytime TD props for receivers and tight ends often have inflated lines due to casual bettor demand.
• Margin of victory ranges — More nuanced than the standard spread, these can offer value if you have a strong read on the game script.

Pro tip: Look for props where the line seems to reflect public perception rather than statistical reality. The Super Bowl draws enormous casual money, which means sportsbooks shade their lines toward what the public wants to bet — and that creates exploitable spots for patient, research-driven bettors.

Entertainment Props: Fun Money, Not Investment Money

Will the national anthem run over two minutes? What color Gatorade gets dumped on the winning coach? What song will the halftime performer open with?

These are fun. They're also almost entirely luck-based. Treat entertainment props like you'd treat a scratch ticket — set a small budget, enjoy the ride, and don't expect a return. The juice on these markets is typically steep, and the edge is basically nonexistent.

Prop Bet Strategies That Actually Hold Up

1. Fade the Public on Big Names

The Super Bowl draws massive action on star players. If Patrick Mahomes or whoever the marquee QB is has a passing yards line, the public will hammer the over every time. Sportsbooks know this and shade the number up accordingly. Sometimes the under is the smarter play — not because the quarterback will have a bad game, but because the line is already pricing in the hype.

2. Look for Correlated Props

If you believe a game is going to be a defensive slugfest, that belief should inform multiple bets — lower totals, fewer touchdowns, shorter scoring drives. Correlated prop strategies aren't always available on a single parlay, but you can spread your bankroll across multiple aligned positions.

3. Shop Lines Across Multiple Books

This one is simple but underused. A player receiving yards line might be 74.5 at one book and 72.5 at another. Those two points matter. If you're in a state with multiple legal operators, having accounts at several of them is the single easiest edge available to recreational bettors.

4. Timing Matters for Props

Prop lines move throughout the week as sharp money hits them. Checking lines early in the week and again on game day can reveal where the market has shifted — and sometimes the best value is available right when the board opens, before the public piles in.

One Last Thing Before You Bet

Set your Super Bowl budget before Sunday arrives. It sounds obvious, but the energy of game day — the parties, the commercials, the constant score updates — makes it easy to keep adding bets beyond what you planned. Decide your total wagering limit in advance, stick to it, and you'll enjoy the game a lot more whether your bets hit or not.

The Super Bowl only comes around once a year. Make it count — but make it smart.

98Abet has you covered for Super Bowl wagering and beyond. Bet Bold. Play Smart. Win Big.