We’re feeling a bit of deja vu in the Tuley’s Takes home office. Regular readers will know that we got a jump on our Super Bowl bets during the bye week after usually waiting until game week. That’s because with the explosion of legalized sports betting in this country — coupled with the exponential increase in proposition wagers being discussed in mainstream and all other media — it made sense to let our readers know my thoughts on the game as well as a lot of the props I knew I would be looking to play.
So, this week’s column will give readers that same sense of deja vu as I’ll be repeating some of the same points, but I hope it’s helpful for all readers as we’ll also be adding more detail as well as additional props I’ve landed on the past week.
Side and total
Bengals + 4.5: To no one’s surprise, I gave my official best bet on the Bengals + 4.5. I made the point that I don’t automatically take the underdog every year in the Super Bowl. In fact, just three years ago, I didn’t take the Rams against the Patriots because I thought the line was too short and felt the Patriots were the right side — and was proven right with the Patriots’ 13-3 victory. I also didn’t like the 49ers against the Chiefs two years ago for the same reason. However, I did like the Buccaneers last year as dogs against the Chiefs and I feel the same way with the Bengals this year.