Only on Super Bowl Sunday does conversation among friends shift from who you bet, to what you bet. After all, there are hundreds of betting options for the big game - the national anthem, the color of the Gatorade, cross-sport props, and anything else under the sun.
All of a sudden, the Chiefs-Buccaneers tilt plays second fiddle to the array of money-making opportunities surrounding it. One of the most popular every single year? The coin toss.
Sportsbooks, pubs, and living rooms around the nation will be tuning in for the most electric few seconds Sunday has to offer. Statistically, here's how the coin toss has stacked up over the years.
As the saying goes, tails never fails. It's shown up 29 times (53%) across 54 Super Bowls, compared to 25 for heads (47%).
Tails has won four of the last six years, but it's heads that owns the longest winning streak (five). Speaking of streaks, one side of the coin has won at least four straight three times since 2000.
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Tails |
| 2019 | Heads |
| 2018 | Heads |
| 2017 | Tails |
| 2016 | Tails |
| 2015 | Tails |
| 2014 | Tails |
| 2013 | Heads |
| 2012 | Heads |
| 2011 | Heads |
| 2010 | Heads |
| 2009 | Heads |
| 2008 | Tails |
| 2007 | Heads |
| 2006 | Tails |
| 2005 | Tails |
| 2004 | Tails |
| 2003 | Tails |
| 2002 | Heads |
| 2001 | Tails |
| 2000 | Tails |
Betting on the coin toss is the pinnacle of 50-50 propositioning, yet bettors don't mind paying a little extra juice just to ride the high. In fact, the coin flip has become a hot commodity a week prior to the game - that includes a four-figure bet on heads, and so much apparent support for tails that it became the favorite at one point.
So, the question is obvious: how can we find an edge on a 50-50 proposition like a coin flip? Well, we can't. But we also don't have inside info on the national anthem or the Gatorade color, and you know all too well that both deserve a small wager, just because.
The coin toss encapsulates what Super Bowl betting has become. For the casual bettor, it's about the pageantry of it all moreso than the game itself. The flip of a coin is such an arbitrary thing to bet on, but that's what Super Bowl betting has become. People are captivated by the sheer creativity of the endless props made available, and the coin toss was ground zero.
In living rooms across the world on Sunday, people are going to be sweating the color of Patrick Mahomes' headband, whether The Weeknd will be wearing sunglasses during his halftime performance, or if Tony Romo is going to talk about his kids during the broadcast. And it all started with the coin toss.
Sunday's the final episode of the 2020 season, and the last chance to bet on a single-game NFL event until the curtain draws again next fall. We made it to the finish line, fellow bettors.
Bet on the coin toss - you deserve it.
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.
