If you’re an NFL fan who lives in Virginia and follows any of the region’s most popular teams, you’re probably familiar with Tom Brady.
Handsome fella. Married to a supermodel. Three-time NFL MVP. Six Super Bowl rings (that’s as many as any NFL franchise). Countless records. A net worth of close to a quarter of a billion dollars.
It’s a never-ending list of accomplishments.
And it’s enough to make you want to vomit, huh?
So, of course, the 43-year-old QB GOAT is now leading his new team to his 10th Super Bowl appearance. On Sunday (6:30 p.m., CBS), Brady and the gang take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. Coincidentally, and all too conveniently, the game takes place at the Bucs’ home of Raymond James Stadium.
Does everything go this guy’s way or what?
If he were your team’s quarterback, you’d probably stan for Brady. But this sumbitch has been ruthlessly running roughshod over our local teams for two decades:
- Washington Football Team: 4-1 record, 319.8 yards/game, 13 TDs, 6 INTs
- Baltimore Ravens: 6-2 record, 272.1 yards/game, 10 TDs, 5 INTs
- Tennessee Titans: 5-2 record, 245 yards/game, 12 TDs, 1 INT
- Carolina Panthers: 4-3 record, 260.1 yards/game, 10 TDs, 6 INTs
I mean, who does this guy think he is?
So, as sports bettors who finally have legal sports betting in Virginia, we have all kinds of ways to bet on the Super Bowl in VA.
And if you’ve had enough of this damn guy, you can get creative with your Brady hate.
Here are 10 ways to bet against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV:
1. Kansas City spread (-3) and/or KC moneyline (-162)
The most straightforward and popular way to bet against Brady and the Bucs is a simple straight wager on the Kansas City Chiefs. The defending champs enter Super Bowl LV as small favorites.
You could bet the Chiefs on the point spread, which was -3 at most Virginia sportsbooks as of Monday. You’d simply need the Chiefs to win by at least 4. If they win by 3, it’s a push. And if they win by 2 or fewer – or if they lose outright – your bet is a bust.
You could also bet the Chiefs on the moneyline, which means you simply need KC to win outright. As of Monday, the best available line was -162, which means you would need to wager $162 to win $100 (or, if you bet $100, you’d net $61.83 in winnings).
2. Kansas City first-half spread (-1.5)
Want to bet against the Buccaneers, but you worry about some of that late-game magic from Brady? After all, other than Peyton Manning, no QB in NFL history has engineered more fourth-quarter comebacks.
In that case, consider making a first-half bet. After all, with first-half wagers, you have most of the usual betting options – spread, moneyline, total – but your bet is settled by halftime.
At most sportsbooks, you could bet the Chiefs -1.5 to -2.5 in the first half, and the moneyline was in the -150 to -160 range.
3. What Will Happen First: TD or INT
Speaking of first-half options, some sportsbooks offer a very specific type of prop bet. It’s of the feast-or-famine variety.
At FanDuel Sportsbook in VA, for example, bettors can choose which option will happen first for Brady:
- Touchdown: -320
- Interception: +240
So, if you plop down $100 and think Brady connects with a Chiefs defender before he finds a Buc in the endzone, you get some plus-money odds in Virginia for a healthy $240 net profit.
4. What Will Happen First: Points or Punt?
Similar to the prop bet above, there’s also one on whether Tampa Bay will score points first or be forced to punt first.
In that pivotal first possession, will the Bucs score a touchdown or maybe get some point on the board with a field goal? Or will that first drive stall out and force a punt?
When it comes to which will happen first for TB, FanDuel suggests it’s a 50-50 proposition:
- Score points: -115
- Punt: -115
Like many novelty prop bets, the house edge is a bit higher because -115 odds are offered on both sides of the bet. In this case, the edge is 6.52% instead of the usual 4.55% for -110/-110 bets, so tread lightly.
5. Bucs Team Total Under 26.5 points
If you think Brady will struggle to get the Bucs’ offense going, why not consider a team total bet?
Sure, bettors can wager on the total of a game. But instead of an over-under on the total number of points that both teams score, you can focus your total on just one team.
As of Monday, the total for Brady’s Bucs in Sunday’s game was 26.5.
If you think Brady will sputter, it stands to reason the Buccaneers will struggle too. So get yourself some of that under-26.5 action.
6. Brady Player Props for Yards, QB rating, TDs, INTs
Rather than focusing on the team total, you could also target some player props for the Super Bowl.
Even for a regular NFL game, sportsbooks often offer all types of QB-specific prop bets. And for the Super Bowl, the offerings are plentiful.
For Brady, specifically, you can bet the over-under in the following categories for the game, among others:
- Totals yards passing: 295.5
- QB rating: 97.5
- Touchdown passes: 2.5
- Interceptions: 0.5
Under 2.5 TD passes is in the neighborhood of -160 to -170. Over .5 interceptions (meaning, one INT or more) is available at approximately -165.
7. Brady vs. Mahomes matchup bets
So, you want to root against “Tom Terrific” and you also think his counterpart will shine on the big stage? Check out the head-to-head Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes bets.
With these prop bets, you simply wager on which QB will rule in a specific category. DraftKings Sportsbook in VA, for example, offers these QB matchup prop bets:
- Most passing yards: Mahomes (-165) or Brady (+130)
- Most passing TDs: Mahomes (-190) or Brady (+150)
- QB with first passing TD of game: Mahomes (-143) or Brady (+115)
Betting options are available in some other statistical categories, but as you can see, you’ll have to pay a premium if you want Mahomes’ side of them.
8. Over on Chiefs’ Sacks
Even if you don’t want to sweat the score, the Super Bowl offers other options to bet against Tom Brady.
Maybe you just want to see him get roughed up a bit. A bit flustered, dejected. Meme-able, even.
I mean, we’ve seen it before:
If you like the KC’s chances of pressuring Brady, you could target the sacks prop. For the Chiefs, the over-under is set at 1.5, with the over at around -150 at most books.
9. Chiefs’ Winning Margin
If you want the possibility of a big payday to accompany a Brady loss, you have a variety of options.
Sure, you could parlay some of your various Brady-related bets. Or, you could take a flyer on a longshot prop bet by betting, for example, that Brady will score the game’s first TD (+3500), that he will have the game’s longest rush (+10000), or he will be the game’s leading rusher (+25000).
But, of course, we want to root against Brady. And if we want a handsome payoff, we need to get specific. At BetMGM VA, for example, we can predict and wager on the final margin of victory. And if the Chiefs’ defense holds Brady in check, some of these bets offer significant payouts:
- Chiefs by 1-5 points: +425
- 6-10 points: +600
- 11-15 points: +900
- 16-20 points: +1100
- 21-25 points: +1300
- 26-30 points: +2200
- 31 or more points: +2200
10. Buccaneers Get Shut Out
Whether it’s pure luck, voodoo magic, a deal with the devil, or some other byproduct of the dark arts, Brady has been largely untouchable in the big games. He’s started 44 playoff games – and won 33 of them. He’s won six of his past seven postseason starts and 11 of his past 13.
But maybe – just maybe – this is the year it all truly falls apart. Maybe Brady leads the Bucs’ offense straight off a cliff.
In that case, you could consider the most insulting Brady-related bet of this year’s Super Bowl LV: The Bucs get shut out.
At BetRivers and DraftKings, for example, a prop that either team will get shut out pays a whopping +5000.
Sure, the Super Bowl has never seen a shutout in 54 previous Super Bowls.
But hey, Tom Brady haters can dream, can’t they?
