Super Bowl Squares Betting Game
It is the world’s biggest sports and entertainment event, and in recent decades it has grown so big, casual sports fans may forget all the attention ultimately surrounds a 60-minute football game.
With so much commotion surrounding a singular event, spectators and fans have found ways to make Super Bowl Sunday even more interactive. Much of this has been accomplished through the realms of gambling, as betting the Super Bowl has in its own right become a kind of a science.
Yet, for those who aren’t burying their face in odds sheets or perusing through online betting markets, there is another way to get involved and make money in the process without having to wager the game in the traditional sense: Super Bowl squares.
25 Square Grid for The Big Game: Big Game Props Pool: 50 Square Grid for The Big Game: Big Game Bingo Sheets: 10 Line Squares for The Big Game: Super Bowl Party Games: Quarter Line Football Squares: Best Super Bowl Square Numbers: Halftime Line Football Squares: Past Super Bowl Winners and Scores: Football Square Rules: Excel Spreadsheet. Having a Super Bowl party tonight? Make the game watching more fun by creating a Super Bowl squares betting pool. Here’s how you do it. Get a large white poster board (or something else big.
Here, we break down what they are, how people play them, and their impact on Super Bowl Sunday as a whole.
What are Super Bowl Squares?
A staple of Super Bowl watch parties and social gatherings, Super Bowl squares is a pool-type game for groups of people to partake in. A simple game with a betting format, this appeals more to casual football fans and non-serious sports bettors.
Whoever in the group oversees the game creates the square itself. This square is then gridded into smaller squares to create a 10×10 layout. Those in the pool, which varies from families, work offices, or groups of close friends, will write their names into one or more of the 100 available boxes if they are interested in the what could be gained by winning. Regardless of the amount of people in the pool, all squares must be filled out for this to work in full effect, so the prices listed on them must vary in order to present a decent bargain.
Outside of this grid, sit multiple squares, often colored gray, with numbers 0-9 assigned to them to label each row and column. One of the Super Bowl teams is inserted on the square’s horizontal axis, one for the vertical axis.
With this set up, the square is ready to go, and the rest will be determined by what unfolds in the actual contest on Sunday afternoon.
How Do You Play Super Bowl Squares?
The square is played as the group tracks the score of the Super Bowl at the end of each quarter. Whoever has the score in correspondence with the last posted number in each respective team’s score is the winner of that portion of the game.
So, for example:
- If a game ends with the final square 26-23 with Kansas City topping San Francisco, the square with Chiefs 6, 49ers 3 would be the winner.
- If the score at the half is Kansas City leading San Francisco 9-6, then the person with their name on the Chiefs 9, 49ers 6 square is victorious for the halftime deficit.
- At the end of the first quarter, if San Francisco leads 3-0 over Kansas City, then the winner would hold the square that reads 49ers 3, Chiefs 0.
Super Bowl Squares Betting Game
This is simple and easy to track as everything has already been displayed on the square and the only thing that can determine the result is the flow and the style of the game itself.
However, that is just the participation side of it. The payout aspect of Super Bowl squares is where things get intriguing, as this is also usually determined beforehand.
How Do Super Bowl Squares Pay Out?
The person in charge of creating the square’s pool will assign a monetary value to each existing square on the grid.
The value is usually distributed among the squares equally. The person “purchasing” or writing their name in the square, will then have this price attached to their box with their name in it. Payout quantities will vary on the system established by the pool and can be structured for the prizes to go up with each passing quarter of football.
There are many ways to scale the rewards, but the common theme is to have the final score payout the largest amount of money.
While it is ideal to have all squares occupied with names, any unowned squares that have their score hit can have their payout rolled over into the next quarter of play.
Differences Between Traditional Sports Betting and Super Bowl Squares
The difference is the lack of an actual market. For this, pools are based on a collective group of people all agreeing to participate. A person within the pool creates the square, and the remaining members buy a part of it. Everything from this point onward is determined by the players on the field and controlled within the group.
Super Bowl squares hold no odds to gauge and no “juice” to determine value, completely nullifying the oddsmakers in the process and providing an alternative way to watch Super Bowl Sunday and gain profit off it.
While Super Bowl squares present an opportunity for money to be made, its lack of both a true wager on anything in the actual ball game and the accompanying booking process that surrounds those wagers at sportsbooks truly separate it from the festivities surrounding the same event in the gaming sphere.
Therefore, this is a game that serves as a form of sports gambling in the absolute loosest sense, and again is one that the betting community does not generally associate itself with.
The “Do’s and Don’ts” of Playing Super Bowl Squares
While a true “handicapping” process may not exist in comparison to those who plan to bet the game using a sportbook or online sports betting website, that does not mean there is no strategy at all. Here are a few “do’s” and “don’ts” of playing them:
“Do’s” of Playing Super Bowl Squares
- Participate in pools where players can pick their own squares, as this gives you the best chance to choose one that reflects how you believe the game will go.
- Look back at past Super Bowls and follow the scoring throughout the game. Certain numbers are far more frequent than others and these should be the ones you gravitate towards.
- Make sure you know the payout system to avoid all confusion and to ensure your squares are the ones that will benefit you the right way if they were to successfully land.
- Get involved in pools that allow you to purchase more than one square, as your chance of profit will increase with more boxes under your name.
“Don’ts” of Playing Super Bowl Squares
- Participate in pools that have many squares unoccupied as it ruins the point of following the game on a quarter-by-quarter basis in hopes of finding a winner each time.
- Expect this game to fatten your wallet; there are certainly opportunities for profit, but chances at cleaning house are going to be very slim due to the format and purpose of the game.
- Think that squares and sports betting function the same. While there are similarities, viewing them as two separate, unique entities will lead to greater success and understanding in each activity respectively.
Frequently Asked Questions About Super Bowl Squares
Are They Any Skills Needed for Super Bowl Squares?
Very few, as one is ultimately betting a version of the final score. While one can use their knowledge of how the game usually goes or even research past Super Bowl scores over the course of history, there is only so much to handicap.
Why Is There so Little Known About Squares?
Because they are internal to the group that is participating in them. Like something around the dinner table or in the work office, squares are something that should be shared within members of the group but mean very little to those not directly involved.
What Is the Fastest Way to Get a Pool Going for Super Bowl Squares?
Determine who would be the most likely to get involved. For some this comes in the form of family and friends, others in the form of co-workers, classmates, or teammates. The more people agreeing to participate the faster the pool can be set on the square.
Are There Perks With Super Bowl Squares Compared to Sportsbooks?
Yes, there are chances to profit from the game in a simpler, minimal way compared to traditional gambling. Due to this, squares have a greater widespread appeal than sports betting but take a hit in industry reputation as they are still viewed as inferior to wagering the game.
Super Bowl 55 is set to kick off on Sunday, February 7th at 6:30 p.m EST. The matchup features the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Kansas City Chiefs, and there is a fair amount of scoring expected in the game. Squares bettors should already know which numbers to be happy with given these expectations: 0, 7, 3 and 4. Anyone receiving a square with one of those numbers has a real shot, and if your square has both of those numbers on it, more power to you.
Squares For Super Bowl Form
For those who are unable to play in an office pool of Super Bowl squares, several websites are offering big squares challenges. One of the most intriguing Super Bowl 55 squares games is being hosted on MyBookie, with prizes up to $15,000, and an entry fee of only $3. If you want to play in one of the biggest online squares games at a reputable sportsbook, MyBookie’s Super Bowl 55 Squares contest could be ideal for you. Super Bowl Squares is a great way to have some stress free fun on Super Bowl Sunday, since the game is all about luck, and you don’t have to worry about optimizing any of your play. Should you engage in this entertaining betting contest, best of luck!
Is It Legal To Play Squares On The NFL?
Super Bowl squares are legal in most states, as they fall into the category of social gambling. While some states have certain limitations on the total prize amount a bettor can win, the majority of states only require that the buy-in prize is under a set amount (generally $50). There are some states that completely outlaw social gambling and NFL squares would be included in this. However, as this form of social gambling does not have “the house” taking a cut, the law is rarely, if ever, enforced.
Those looking to crack down on illegal gambling are looking for operators that are making money without paying their taxes. Breaking up a game of squares associated with a restaurant, office, or group of friends is extremely rare. In nearly every situation, the amount of money collected from the buy-ins is rewarded to the bettors who win at 100%. As nobody takes a cut (though some organizations do squares as a fundraiser), it is seen more like a lottery and raffle system as opposed to gambling.
How Does Super Bowl Squares Work?
Super Bowl Party Games Gambling
There are a few different ways to play NFL squares but the idea is the exact same to start. Bettors are made aware of a per-square buy-in price ($1 for example). A bettor can purchase as many squares as they wish and they add their name in one of the 100 boxes on the 10 x 10 square. After the entire sheet is filled, a method to label each column and row with a number is formed. The methods range from pulling numbers out of a hat, using a number randomizer, or a handful of other methods. Once the rows and columns have their numbers in place, bettors have the first look at what their squares look like.
The idea behind Super Bowl squares is to have your numbers picked at the end of a quarter, half, or game. Some pools also score based on every point scored in the game, but the quarterly winnings are the most common method. Bettors win money by having their square in the position of both of the teams’ last digit of their point total. For example, the New Orleans Saints are playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Saints are leading 10-7 at the end of the first quarter. The NFL square operator would find the side of the grid associated with the Saints, use the column with the 0 and cross-match it with the other side of the grid associated with the Bucs. Only one winner can be associated with each cross-section, making the payouts quite rewarding.
In our $1 buy-in example, the total pot would be worth $100. Some Super Bowl square games break down each quarter evenly, giving up to four bettors $25 each. However, other games seem to give the winner of the final score the majority of the money, leaving the other $50 or so for the other bettors to share. The payout methods can be varied, but the idea is always the same – pick a spot, hope for “good football numbers”, and see if the score reflects the numbers associated with your square.
Playing Squares At MyBookie
For those that will not be playing the squares at a Super Bowl 55 party or event this year, MyBookie has you covered as they have been hosting squares tournaments all throughout the regular season and the playoffs. They offer payouts for these tournaments at the end of every quarter, half and also the final score of the game. The prize payout for the winners of quarters 1-3 are 20% of the total prize. The payout for the first half is 40% of the prize while the payout of the second half is higher at 60%. As for the payout for the final score of the game, it is also at 40% of the total prize money. If there is an overtime period, the points of that quarter will be added to the fourth quarter.
Super Bowl Squares 2021 Printable
The Best And Worst Numbers To Have In Super Bowl Squares
Though this style of wagering has no ability to be controlled, bettors can see the production of their numbers over the last few Super Bowls. Every player always has a superstition about certain numbers but the truth of the matter is, any number could be successful with the variety of scoring options in the NFL. That said, there are some clear positive outliers in terms of what numbers hit most often. Bettors should feel confident should they land on a 0, 3, or 7. These numbers are common scoring increase totals (or a lack of scoring) and are some of the bettors’ favorite numbers to see. This is pretty intuitive – NFL teams tend to score in increments of seven and three, and seven plus three is ten, which ends in zero.
When the square’s number is revealed, bettors who are on the 2, 5, 8, or 9 are given some of the worst opportunities to win. Though 2 (safety), 5 (two touchdowns with a PAT and 2-pt attempt), 8 (touchdown with 2-pt attempt), or 9 (three field goals) is possible, the likelihood of other scoring events interrupting this pattern is more likely. In reality though, once the Super Bowl score breaks past 20 points, any scoring method can cause obscure number endings. Super Bowl Squares tends to reward players at the end of each quarter so that there are multiple chances to win. Given this, there is a pretty decent amount of data regarding what the best numbers to have are. Based on the past 54 Super Bowls with four quarters each, the numbers most likely to hit are as follows.
Super Bowl Square Number Probability
- The number 0 appeared 118 times – 27.31%
- The number 7 appeared 81 times – 18.75%
- The number 3 appeared 69 times – 15.97%
- The number 4 appeared 46 times – 10.65%
- The number 6 appeared 34 times – 7.87%
- The number 1 appeared 26 times – 6.02%
- The number 9 appeared 20 times – 4.63%
- The number 8 appeared 16 times – 3.70%
- The number 2 appeared 12 times – 2.78%
- The number 5 appeared 10 times – 2.31%
Super Bowl LV Squares
Super Bowl 55
Sunday, February 7th, 6:30 EST
Kansas City Chiefs
vs.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Printable 100 Square Super Bowl Grid
Super Bowl LV pits the Kansas City Chiefs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Chiefs are favored in the matchup, but Squares bettors don’t have to worry about any of that, as squares is a game of chance. There are a ton of different Super Bowl Squares competitions to take part in as a Squares enthusiast.
Free Printable Super Bowl Numbered Squares
For example, MyBookie has been running a squares competition all season, and Super Bowl LV should be the culmination of that. The 2021 Super Bowl will bring a ton of eyes to the sports betting websites, and that means that there are a lot of potential competitors in a squares competition, so good luck!