The alarmingly high number of people betting on the Patriots to beat the Rams in Super Bowl LIII has bookmakers nervous.
The Rams opened as one-point favorites, but that didn't last long. So much money came in for New England that the Patriots became two-point favorites after only a couple hours.
“It’s pretty rare that a three-point line move was made that quickly, basically within a few hours, but the Super Bowl isn’t your normal game, and it does tend to move more than the average weekly game,” Dave Mason, sportsbook brand manager at BetOnline.ag, said per Forbes.
“Plus an overwhelming amount of the initial money came in on the Pats -- and it hasn’t slowed down," Mason added.
The Patriots have embraced an underdog mentality throughout the playoffs, but they certainly aren't perceived as underdogs by the public for their Feb. 3 matchup.
“Our position and liability on the Patriots is growing minute by minute,” Mason said. “Although we did take quite a bit on Rams early on in the season to win the Super Bowl, it does not matter at this point, as over 85% of money is on Patriots, and we do not see it stopping. I can only imagine how big this will be.”
Needless to say, bookmakers will be rooting hard for the Patriots to fall in the Super Bowl for the second straight year.
New England Patriots
Find the latest New England Patriots news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
“It looks like we will be massive Rams fans come Super Bowl Sunday," said Mason.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.