It’s official: we’ve got a Super Bowl showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. And if you were among the majority of Proline bettors, you probably saw this one coming.
Seattle punched its ticket to the big game with a gritty 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship. It wasn’t just a win-it was a statement.
And bettors were largely on board. According to data from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., 53% of Proline players backed the Seahawks to win outright, and 61% correctly picked them to cover the 2.5-point spread.
Even more impressive? A whopping 80% took the over on 46.5 total points-and given the offensive fireworks on display, they cashed in.
Over in the AFC, the Patriots did what the Patriots do: find a way. Their 10-7 slugfest victory over the Denver Broncos wasn’t pretty, but it was enough to send them to their 12th Super Bowl appearance.
Bettors had faith in the Pats, with 65% predicting they’d advance. Denver did get some love on the spread, with 34% backing them to cover the 3.5-point line.
Meanwhile, 40% of bettors hit the under on 43.5 points-a smart play in a game where defenses dominated and points were at a premium.
So now it’s set: Seattle and New England will meet on February 8 in Santa Clara, California, with a Lombardi Trophy on the line. It’s a matchup that pits two franchises with championship pedigrees, and if the betting trends are any indication, fans are already locked in.
But football wasn’t the only action grabbing attention over the weekend.
Saturday night at UFC 324, Justin Gaethje stepped into the octagon as the underdog and walked out with the interim lightweight championship after a unanimous decision victory over Paddy Pimblett. Only 38% of Proline bettors backed Gaethje to pull off the upset, but those who did were rewarded for believing in his relentless pressure and veteran savvy.
In the co-main event, Sean O’Malley delivered as expected, defeating Son Yadong. Bettors were more confident here-75% had O’Malley winning, and he didn’t disappoint.
Meanwhile, the NBA served up a thriller on Sunday night. The Toronto Raptors edged out the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder 103-101 on the road-a gutsy win that turned the heads of more than a few bettors. Fifty-three percent backed the Raptors to win, but the real story was the spread: 75% had Toronto covering the 10.5-point line, and they did just that.
And then there were the parlay heroes.
One retail player turned a $6 NBA five-leg parlay-featuring the Raptors-into a cool $1,906.50. Another bettor hit big with an eight-leg soccer parlay, turning $50 into $6,998.20.
Not to be outdone, a digital bettor nailed a 12-leg NHL parlay with just a $1 wager, walking away with $1,684.57. And another turned $2 into $2,788 with a sharp two-leg soccer parlay.
It was a weekend full of tight games, bold bets, and big paydays. And with the Super Bowl now on the horizon, the stakes are only getting higher.