Fans ready to gamble

An estimated 50 million people will place bets on the Super Bowl.

By Ryan Avakian and Leo Piloyan

Ready for the massive game coming up on Sunday? 

But the talk isn’t about whether the Kansas City Chiefs or the Philadelphia Eagles are going to win.

It’s about who’s betting on which team and the amount they are planning on betting. And in most factors, it doesn’t have to be only adults who bet on this coming up game.

It can also be high school students who ask their parents to put their money for them on their favorite team.

An estimated 50 million people will place bets on the Super Bowl, according to fivethirtyeight.com. Analysts at Fivethirtyeight predict that $16 billion will be wagered on the game, double the amount on last year’s Rams-Bengals Super Bowl contest.

Some students at Hoover High School are planning on getting their parents to gamble.

One Hoover student said: “I’m betting on the Chiefs because I love that team, I think they are an excellent team and have a perfect chance, I also have saved up money for this game, and it would be pretty cool if they can win this game.”

This year’s Super Bowl, which will be held in Glendale, Arizona, is the first one held in a state that has legalized gambling.

Even though California does not allow gambling, another Hoover student said: “I might do it. I might not. I don’t like the concept of gambling but when you put some money down that could be doubled or even tripled; It makes watching the game in the moment exciting.”

The Eagles are 1.5-point favorites, according to Caesars Sportsbook. ESPN.com reported that 73% of the bets that have been placed are for the Eagles to cover the spread.

“Me and my friends are going to gather at my house on Sunday just to see who won and lost their bests they put down,” a Hoover student said. “Of Course it’s not a great sight to see your friend losing money but it is pretty funny when you say I told you so.”