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Whether it’s food, the halftime show, commercials or betting opportunities, Super Bowl parties offer something for everyone. This year, Americans are projected to legally wager a record $1.76 billion on Super Bowl 60, according to the American Gaming Association. That is up 27% from last year, continuing the growing enthusiasm around legal sports betting. One common game partygoers can find at these gatherings is Super Bowl squares. The no-skill, social betting game involves players selecting available squares on an empty 10-by-10 grid, with numbers zero to nine randomly assigned. The game gives attendees, even those with no football knowledge, something to engage with throughout the game. But is winning the game all about strategy or just luck? According to one expert, it’s all about luck. “When the columns and rows are assigned randomly, you really want the odds to be in your favor,” said Tim Chartier, a Davidson College professor of mathematics and computer science.How Super Bowl squares worksTypically, Super Bowl squares numbers are assigned after players select their squares, with each team assigned either a row or a column on the grid. At the end of each quarter, or sometimes just at the end of the game, players look at the last digit of each team’s score. The square with the matching row and column wins.Chartier specializes in data and sports analytics and has worked with teams in the NBA, NFL and NASCAR. He has also analyzed the odds of winning lottery games such as the Powerball jackpot and Mega Millions.The Get the Facts Data Team and Chartier analyzed all previous Super Bowl final scores, along with nearly 7,000 NFL games since 2000, to determine which score-ending combinations are most and least common. Here is what the analysis found.Out of all 59 Super Bowl final scores, the data team found the most common final score combination was 7-4, appearing five times. These final scores were: 7-14, 7-24, 37-24, 7-34 and 17-14.Out of the 100 possible combinations, 53 have never occurred. Last year’s final score was 40-22, with the Philadelphia Eagles beating the Kansas City Chiefs. It was the first time the 0-2 combination appeared in a Super Bowl final score.Numbers like three, four and seven tend to appear more often because of how football scoring works, said Chartier. A field goal is worth 3 points, a touchdown is worth 6 points, 7 if the extra point is kicked in, and four is the difference between seven and three. Numbers like two, five and eight are unlikely to occur in the game. What are the most and least common combinations? Out of nearly 7,000 NFL regular and postseason games since 2000, the most frequent final score ending digit combination was 7-0, appearing 262 times. To avoid duplicate combinations, scores are written in away-home order like official scores. In Super Bowl games specifically, a final score ending in either 7-0 or 0-7 has occurred three times across all 59 games. The least frequent combination was 2-2, having occurred four times, less than 1% of games. It’s also never appeared in a final Super Bowl square. Knowing the probabilities of certain numbers can give players an advantage, but it does not guarantee a win, said Chartier, especially if other players know the odds as well. But it can help players determine which numbers they want to avoid. “When you don’t know in advance what they’re going to be, then the moment you know, you can look at the probabilities to see how lucky you may be, but you never know,” said Chartier. “Unlikely things happen all the time, which is part of why we watch sports.” One other thing to watch out for: Super Bowl squares are often considered illegal games of chance. Make sure you know the laws in your state before you enter. Use the tool below to see how often each final score combination has occurred in NFL games.
Whether it’s food, the halftime show, commercials or betting opportunities, Super Bowl parties offer something for everyone.
This year, Americans are projected to legally wager a record $1.76 billion on Super Bowl 60, according to the American Gaming Association. That is up 27% from last year, continuing the growing enthusiasm around legal sports betting.
One common game partygoers can find at these gatherings is Super Bowl squares. The no-skill, social betting game involves players selecting available squares on an empty 10-by-10 grid, with numbers zero to nine randomly assigned. The game gives attendees, even those with no football knowledge, something to engage with throughout the game.
But is winning the game all about strategy or just luck? According to one expert, it’s all about luck.
“When the columns and rows are assigned randomly, you really want the odds to be in your favor,” said Tim Chartier, a Davidson College professor of mathematics and computer science.
How Super Bowl squares works
Typically, Super Bowl squares numbers are assigned after players select their squares, with each team assigned either a row or a column on the grid. At the end of each quarter, or sometimes just at the end of the game, players look at the last digit of each team’s score. The square with the matching row and column wins.
Chartier specializes in data and sports analytics and has worked with teams in the NBA, NFL and NASCAR. He has also analyzed the odds of winning lottery games such as the Powerball jackpot and Mega Millions.
The Get the Facts Data Team and Chartier analyzed all previous Super Bowl final scores, along with nearly 7,000 NFL games since 2000, to determine which score-ending combinations are most and least common. Here is what the analysis found.
Out of all 59 Super Bowl final scores, the data team found the most common final score combination was 7-4, appearing five times. These final scores were: 7-14, 7-24, 37-24, 7-34 and 17-14.
Out of the 100 possible combinations, 53 have never occurred. Last year’s final score was 40-22, with the Philadelphia Eagles beating the Kansas City Chiefs. It was the first time the 0-2 combination appeared in a Super Bowl final score.
Numbers like three, four and seven tend to appear more often because of how football scoring works, said Chartier.
A field goal is worth 3 points, a touchdown is worth 6 points, 7 if the extra point is kicked in, and four is the difference between seven and three. Numbers like two, five and eight are unlikely to occur in the game.
What are the most and least common combinations?
Out of nearly 7,000 NFL regular and postseason games since 2000, the most frequent final score ending digit combination was 7-0, appearing 262 times. To avoid duplicate combinations, scores are written in away-home order like official scores.
In Super Bowl games specifically, a final score ending in either 7-0 or 0-7 has occurred three times across all 59 games.
The least frequent combination was 2-2, having occurred four times, less than 1% of games. It’s also never appeared in a final Super Bowl square.
Knowing the probabilities of certain numbers can give players an advantage, but it does not guarantee a win, said Chartier, especially if other players know the odds as well. But it can help players determine which numbers they want to avoid.
“When you don’t know in advance what they’re going to be, then the moment you know, you can look at the probabilities to see how lucky you may be, but you never know,” said Chartier. “Unlikely things happen all the time, which is part of why we watch sports.”
One other thing to watch out for: Super Bowl squares are often considered illegal games of chance. Make sure you know the laws in your state before you enter.
Use the tool below to see how often each final score combination has occurred in NFL games.
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