1st Half Super Bowl Betting Stats & Odds: 1H Spread, Over/Under, First To Score

January 30, 2021 - by Jason Lisk

Bets on the outcome of the first half of NFL games have been increasing in popularity, and the Super Bowl is no exception. You can find a wide range of 1H wagers available for Super Bowl LV.

Common first half betting options include the first half point spread, over/under (i.e. total points scored by both teams), and moneyline (i.e. which team is winning at the end of the 1H).

Some sportsbooks also offer additional wagers for which team will score first, what type of play the first scoring play of the game will be, and more.

In this post, we will review key stats and from the 2020 season for both teams related to first half betting, and also take a look at results from recent Super Bowls.

Kansas City Chiefs First Half Scoring Stats

Here are some facts related to the 2020 season that you might find relevant to considering various prop bets on the Super Bowl first half.

Important Note: For relevance to the Super Bowl purposes, statistical data referenced in this post excludes the final regular season game for the Chiefs in which QB Patrick Mahomes did not play.

Kickoffs, First to Score, and Opening Drives

Category	Total	KC Scores 1st	Opponent Scores 1st	Opening Drive Score
KC Receives to Start Game	6	5	1	4
KC Kicks to Start Game	11	1	10	5
Total	17	6	11	9

You can see that Kansas City’s opponents actually scored first in 11 of 17 games this year, meaning Kansas City went 16-1 in games started by Patrick Mahomes even though they gave up the first score the majority of the time.

Were they just unlucky? No. The Chiefs won the opening coin toss 8 times versus their opponent winning 9 times. But Kansas City always defers to the second half, and kicks off when they win the toss.

When KC’s opponents win the toss, however, they occasionally (3 of 9 times this year) chose to receive in the first half, rather than defer — and there are likely some strategic reasons why.

(Maybe to try not to let the Chiefs get their scoring attack rolling right off the bat, or because scoring first as an underdog could help player morale.)

Overall First Half Scoring