How Did Past Super Bowl Underdogs Perform?

The Baltimore Ravens shocked the world by winning every playoff game as an underdog last year, will the underdog win again?

The Seattle Seahawks may be the underdog in Super Bowl XLVIII, but they are certainly more than capable of toppling the Denver Broncos. In fact, in terms of the odds, they are one of the strongest; only two other dogs in Super Bowl history have had lines lower than the Seahawks’ current 2.5-point spread.

So how will the underdog Seahawks do? Maybe history holds the answer.

Here’s a list of the previous 47 Super Bowls, the line for each game, and whether or not the underdog managed to cover the spread.
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List of all Super Bowl lines and underdogs

YEAR | VENUE | MATCH-UP | LINE | WINNER | DOG ATS
1967 | Los Angeles | Green Bay vs Kansas City | KC (+14) | GB, 35-10 | LOSS
1968 | Miami | Green Bay vs Oakland | OAK (+13.5) | GB, 33-14 | LOSS
1969 | Miami | NY Jets vs Baltimore | NYJ (+18) | NYJ, 16-7 | WIN
1970 | New Orleans | Kansas City vs Minnesota | KC (+12) | KC, 23-7 | WIN
1971 | New Orleans | Baltimore vs Dallas | DAL (+2.5) | BAL, 16-13 | LOSS
1972 | Miami | Dallas vs Miami | MIA (+6) | DAL, 24-3 | LOSS
1973 | New Orleans | Miami vs Washington | WSH (+1) | MIA, 14-7 | LOSS
1974 | Los Angeles | Miami vs Minnesota | MIN (+6.5) | MIA, 24-7 | LOSS
1975 | Houston | Pittsburgh vs Minnesota | MIN (+3) | PIT, 16-6 | LOSS
1976 | Miami | Pittsburgh vs Dallas | DAL (+7) | PIT, 21-17 | WIN
1977 | Pasadena | Oakland vs Minnesota | MIN (+4) | OAK, 34-14 | LOSS
1978 | New Orleans | Dallas vs Denver | DEN (+6) | DAL, 27-10 | LOSS
1979 | Miami | Pittsburgh vs Dallas | DAL (+3.5) | PIT, 35-31 | LOSS
1980 | Pasadena, CA | Pittsburgh vs LA Rams | LA (+10.5) | PIT, 31-19 | LOSS
1981 | New Orleans | Oakland vs Philadelphia | OAK (+3) | OAK, 27-10 | WIN
1982 | Pontiac, MI | San Francisco vs Cincinnati | CIN (+1) | SF, 26-21 | LOSS
1983 | Pasadena | Washington vs Miami | WSH (+3) | WSH, 27-17 | WIN
1984 | Tampa, FL | LA Raiders vs Washington | LA (+3) | LA, 38-9 | WIN
1985 | Stanford, CA | San Francisco vs Miami | MIA (+3.5) | SF, 38-16 | LOSS
1986 | New Orleans | Chicago vs New England | NE (+10) | CHI, 46-10 | LOSS
1987 | Pasadena | NY Giants vs Denver | DEN (+9.5) | NY, 39-20 | LOSS
1988 | San Diego | Washington vs Denver | WSH (+3) | WSH, 42-10 | WIN
1989 | Miami | San Francisco vs Cincinnati | CIN (+7) | SF, 20-16 | WIN
1990 | New Orleans | San Francisco vs Denver | DEN (+12) | SF, 55-10 | LOSS
1991 | Tampa | NY Giants vs Buffalo | NYG (+7) | NYG, 20-19 | WIN
1992 | Minnesota | Washington vs Buffalo | BUF (+7) | WSH, 37-24 | LOSS
1993 | Pasadena | Dallas vs Buffalo | BUF (+6.5) | DAL, 52-17 | LOSS
1994 | Atlanta | Dallas vs Buffalo | BUF (+10.5) | DAL, 30-13 | LOSS
1995 | Miami | San Francisco vs San Diego | SD (+18.5) | SF, 49-26 | LOSS
1996 | Tempe, AZ | Dallas vs Pittsburgh | PIT (+13.5) | DAL, 27-17 | WIN
1997 | New Orleans | Green Bay vs New England | NE (+14) | GB, 35-21 | PUSH
1998 | San Diego | Denver vs Green Bay | DEN (+11) | DEN, 31-24 | WIN
1999 | Miami | Denver vs Atlanta | ATL (+7.5) | DEN, 34-19 | LOSS
2000 | Atlanta | St. Louis vs Tennessee | TEN (+7) | STL, 23-16 | PUSH
2001 | Tampa | Baltimore vs NY Giants | NYG (+3) | BAL, 34-7 | LOSS
2002 | New Orleans | New England vs St. Louis | NE (+14) | NE, 20-17 | WIN
2003 | San Diego | Tampa Bay vs Oakland | TB (+4) | TB, 48-21 | WIN
2004 | Houston | New England vs Carolina | CAR (+7) | NE, 32-29 | WIN
2005 | Jacksonville | New England vs Philadelphia | PHI (+7) | NE, 24-21 | WIN
2006 | Detroit | Pittsburgh vs Seattle | SEA (+4) | PIT, 21-10 | LOSS
2007 | Miami | Indianapolis vs Chicago | CHI (+7) | IND, 29-17 | LOSS
2008 | Glendale, AZ | NY Giants vs New England | NYG (+12) | NYG, 17-14 | WIN
2009 | Tampa | Pittsburgh vs Arizona | AZ (+7) | PIT, 27-23 | WIN
2010 | Miami | New Orleans vs Indianapolis | NO (+5) | NO, 31-17 | WIN
2011 | Arlington, TX | Green Bay vs Pittsburgh | PIT (+3) | GB, 31-25 | LOSS
2012 | Indianapolis | NY Giants vs New England | NYG (+2.5) | NYG, 21-17 | WIN
2013 | New Orleans | San Francisco vs Baltimore | BAL (+4.5) | BAL, 34-31 | WIN
2014 | NY/NJ | Denver vs Seattle | SEA (+2.5) | ? | ?

Super Bowl favorites have historically won against the spread

The favorites have won 33 of the 47 Super Bowls, a 70% winning percentage. Of those 33 winning favorites, eight failed to cover the spread (two due to a tie/”push”). The favorites are 25-20-2 ATS in all-time in the Super Bowl.

The underdogs’ Super Bowl record is a less impressive 14-33 SU and 20-25-2 ATS. However, their record over the last decade or so has been much more favorable.

Underdogs have played well in the Super Bowl since 2002

The betting underdogs have won five of the last 6 Super Bowls straight up. Furthermore, since 2002, the underdog has covered 9 of the last 12 Super Bowls. The losing underdog has only covered six times in Super Bowl history, but three of those instances came within the last dozen years.

With the line currently at 2.5 points, will you be betting on the favored Denver Broncos or the dominating Seattle Seahawks defense? Bet on the Super Bowl now.

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