New Jersey Sportsbooks to Collect $100 Million in Bets for ´Big Game´, According to PlayNJ.com Analysts

"We're setting the line at a $100 million in legal bets in New Jersey and $325 million in total bets placed on the game at legal sportsbooks nationwide," said Dustin Gouker, lead sports betting analyst for PlayNJ.com. "The excitement of being able to legally place a bet for the first time in New Jersey, an intriguing matchup with two high-powered offenses and plenty of star power, and the proliferation of proposition bets, should all combine to make for an impressive total."

2019 will mark the first year that bettors will be able to legally wager on the Big Game in New Jersey, and the response is expected to be significant. PlayNJ.com experts project that over a million Americans will place a legal bet on the game.

New Jersey won't be alone in seeing a groundswell of bets. Across all legal jurisdictions in the U.S. — which includes Delaware, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia — PlayUSA Network estimates as much as $325 million will be bet on the NFL's showcase game.

Some other numbers to note ahead of the Big Game:

• The total number of legal online and retail sportsbooks in all states where one can place a wager is now at more than 250, with more potentially coming online by kickoff.


• Nevada set an all-time high last year by collecting $158.6 million in wagers ahead of last year's game, nearly 40 percent of the state's total handle in February 2018, according to Nevada Gaming Control Board figures.


• Despite the impressive handle, Nevada's win was only $1.17 million after the Philadelphia Eagles upset the New England Patriots. 

"This is easily the single most significant betting event of the year," Gouker said. "Nevada, long the bellwether for legal sports betting, shows the overwhelming popularity of the NFL's championship game."

In terms of the game, New England is now a consensus 1.5-point favorite in Las Vegas and New Jersey, after opening as a 1-point underdog. And with two prolific offenses matched up, the over/under is set at 58 points. But some interesting lines have already emerged, including William Hill, which has the Patriots as a 2.5-point favorite.

Prop bets have also been increasingly popular in Las Vegas, working to entice bettors with odds on aspects in the game such as what player will score the first touchdown, halftime score, and far more. New Jersey operators should see similar success with such bets.

"Operators have really been able to attract bettors with prop bets, and keep them engaged with in-game betting," Gouker said. "Mobile and online betting, which accounted for 76 percent of all sports bets in New Jersey in December, is a key driver for these kinds of wagers."