A guide to Super Bowl squares
Super Bowl squares has been a go-to method to spice up parties for years. Because you won't already find enough excitement in the game itself, here's what you need to know before running or entering one of your own for Sunday's spectacle between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams.
How it works
Super Bowl square pools are comprised of a single blank sheet of paper, consisting of 100 boxes laid out in 10 rows and 10 columns. (Those who choose to draw it themselves may, but it's only a matter of time until your Y-axis line drifts off course and the squares instead appear as isosceles triangles. You can also print them here.) All squares must be filled and individuals can purchase as many as they choose.
Next up is deciding which team gets which axis. From there, numbers ranging from 0-9 will be randomly assigned to each column (10 numbers, 10 squares equals math).
To win the quarter, half, or game pools - whatever the setup may be - your square numbers must align with the final number in each team's score. For example, if the Rams and Patriots are tied 10-10 at the end of the first quarter, the player who had 0/0 in the pool would take home the prize for that quarter.
Payouts are either allocated evenly throughout all four periods at a 25 percent pot rake or distributed more for the ends of the second and fourth quarters.
Numbers matter
Three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and telling random strangers on the street that you worked up a 7/0 combo in your Super Bowl pool. The NFL has its own key numbers from a betting perspective; it's an efficient market with low variance, meaning the 3, 7, and 10 are huge difference-makers. In this case, the 3, 7, and 0 are common digits the Super Bowl squares player extraordinaire will hope to snag. It makes sense, right? Field goals, touchdowns (without missed extra points), and teams being scoreless or hitting the 10- or 20-point mark are common. The 1, 4, and 6 squares inspire some hope; pull a 2, 5, 8, or 9 and all of a sudden you're researching how common it is for two safeties to occur in one quarter.
Now you're officially ready to win your Super Bowl squares pool, so draw some squares, pull some good numbers, and ensure Dan from marketing doesn't win and brag in your face Monday morning.
Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.