Shopping for Super Bowl odds

Sharp bettors shop for lines like women shop for shoes: When you see a sale, you buy, buy, buy.

With the Super Bowl less than a week away, sports bettors will see plenty of spreads and totals for the big game. But, depending on who you like – the Packers or the Steelers – or if you’re picking the over or the under, certain odds appeal to you more than others.

Most shops are dealing -2.5 for Super Bowl XLV, in favor of Green Bay. However, Pittsburgh fans might want to take their action to Bodog.com, which is currently dealing -3 (+100), giving that extra half a point to the AFC champs.

The Steelers bring a 15-7 record against the spread into the Super Bowl and were 3-1 ATS in the role of underdogs this season. Looking back at recent history, they have gone 34-16-1 in their last 51 games as underdogs and are 16-5-1 ATS in their last 22 games when they were given three or fewer points.

Other books like Sportsbook.com (-2.5, -115), 5Dimes.com (-2.5, -120), and BetUS.com (-2.5, -115) are currently dealing similar numbers, attracting more Green Bay action with those slimmer spreads.

As for the total, this number has dropped from its opening at most markets. Bodog.com has watched the total come down from 46 to 45 points (under -115), while Sportsbook.com, 5Dimes.com, and BetUS.com all have 44 points (-110) on the board, with early-bird action trimming the number from 46 in the past week.

It seems the immediate money is expecting a slowed-down defensive battle between two of the league’s finest stop units. Green Bay was second in the league in points allowed, giving up only 15 points per game and posting a 10-13 over/under record. Pittsburgh topped the NFL in scoring defense, budging for just 14.5 points per contest and boasting an even 11-11 over/under count on the year.

But with the number taking a tumble, bettors should keep an eye on the total as kickoff draws closer. The casual football fan is more likely to wager on the over in the hopes of an exciting, high-scoring Super Bowl. Bettors planning on playing the over should probably jump on the lowest total available now, rather than get burned by the public push later in the week.