Continuously ranking as one of the most viewed programs in the history of TV, the Super Bowl is arguably the single most gambled-on sporting event every year. This annual championship game of the National Football League offers probably the widest array of prop, futures and in-game wagers of any professional football contest from among all NFL football betting options. Not long after the NFL Super Bowl is played and a champion is crowned, futures odds for the next year's Super Bowl winner are posted. Placing your Super Bowl bet during the regular season can yield you some hefty payouts as it is harder to make these types of predictions so far before the playoffs take place. This is why they pay at a higher rate. But futures bets on Super Bowl champions are far from the only legal football bet to make at the top ranked sports betting sites.

With no clear favorite and a very close game expected, here are what the betting lines are looking like a few days out from the Super Bowl XLIX.

New England Patriots -2

Seattle Seahawks +2

In a rare predicament for the NFL Super Bowl, on Feb 01, 2015, we will se the AFC's No. 1 team matched up against the NFC's No. 1. In the past 15 years, a No. 1 team facing another No. 1 team has occurred only three times, all of which since 2009. What is even more surprising is that the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots looked destined during the mid-season for a tumble down the rankings.

The defending champions, Seattle Seahawks endured their crisis later in the season but solved it by trading a superstar and rallying the remaining troops. In Week 4, New England was facing Kansas City and QB Tom Brady was pummeled by the defense causing him to leave the game and resulting in a 41-14 stomping. The Patriots bounced back the next week against Cincinnati and went on an 11-2 stretch.

QB Tom Brady versus CB Richard Sherman

Patriots QB Tom Brady will be facing Seahawks CB Richard Sherman who has been primarily avoided during postseason play. Quarterbacks have targeted Sherman only seven times in 76 passing snaps. When these two teams last met, Sherman only allowed two receptions across seven combined targets with on pass deflection and one interception. Quarterbacks like Brady are not afraid to throw near Sherman; they are just smart enough to find better options. This is exactly what the Seahawks want as it forces New England to tilt their game plan.

TE Rob Gronkowski vs. Seahawks S Kam Chancellor

Gronkowski had a quiet AFC Championship Game due to tight coverage from Linebacker Vontae Davis. With Seahawks Safety Kam Chancellor covering Gronkowski, Linebacker K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner can remain in the box to guard against cross routes and attack the running game. Even if Gronkowski remains a blocker, Chancellor and Wright will become extra blitzers and can defend against the run.

Gronkowski is quick and physical but will need to earn every yard against this tough defense. Blow coverage's on passing routes will be few so New England will need to find a way to free Gronkowski off the snap.

Patriots RB LeGarrette Blount versus Seahawks Front Eight

In the AFC Championship, the Indianapolis Colts were simply embarrassed by Blout for the second year in a row. Therefore, to win this Super Bowl, the Pats will need a similar running effort. The Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers had running success against the Seattle defense who allowed just 81.5 yards rushing during regular season play. New England's smaller receivers will likely have difficulty against Seattle's secondary so the Pat's may focus their offense on the running game.

Patriots WR Julian Edelman versus Seahawks Punt Coverage

In such an incredible matchup, special teams is often ignored. However, last year's Super Bowl proved that a kick can change the tempo of the game. Although the Pats' kick return team is lacking, the punt unit is one of the most dangerous in the league due to Edelman's refusal to fair catch. Edelman's 12.0 yards per return and 299 total return yards ended in the top five in the league for those with at least 15 attempts. The Pats were fourth in punt return DVOA with the Seahawks ranked 21st in punt coverage. This bodes well for New England having significant gains on punt returns.

Betting Lines

This has been an incredible football betting season so far for the books in Nevada. The Super Bowl will be just as exciting. For those betting on the Super Bowl's total, it is currently listed at 48.5 points. The odds are currently open with the Patriots at +2 1.98- and the Seahawks at -2 1.92, but you can expect to see the lines moving in either direction as the game nears.

Final Comments

The game will be tight with the Seahawks edging out the Patriots. The main questions are, can the Patriots maintain Seattle's pass-rush? Will the receives be able to overcome coverage from the best secondary in the NFL? This is a difficult task which adds pressure to Blout. On the other side of the ball, the Patriot's corners can shut down Seattle's passing game but New England will need to move a Safety into the box to keep Lynch from dominating. AFC's best and the NFC's best present a tough call with the game leaning toward Seattle.

As we explained on our college football page, a prop bet is nothing more than a proposition that something will happen during a football game. And one of the biggest Super Bowl prop bets every year concerns the coin toss that starts the game. Before a National Football League game begins, a referee tosses a two-sided coin and one of the opposing team captains calls heads or tails. The outcome dictates which team receives the opening kickoff. It may be hard for you to believe, but millions of dollars are wagered each and every year on the outcome of the Super Bowl coin flip. This is just one of literally hundreds of Super Bowl bets which are offered by the top online sports betting sites. Other common Super Bowl prop bets include which team will score first, what type of score will come first, which player will score first, and how many sacks, touchdowns, fumbles or interceptions individual players will tally.

After the Seattle Seahawks were crowned NFL champions following the 2014 Super Bowl, an interesting fact was noted. The Seahawks wore white jerseys in that Super Bowl. That means that 8 out of the last 9 Super Bowl teams wearing white up to that point were victorious. And teams whose primary dark uniform color is blue have won the most Super Bowls at 15. However, they have also lost the most Super Bowls at 18. Teams with red as their major dark uniform color have the best Super Bowl winning percentage, at 10 - 6. And if your favorite team has orange as its predominant uniform color, look out. Those teams have limped to a 0 - 4 record in Super Bowls as of the start of the 2014 regular-season.

Of the first of 48 Super Bowls, the team that has been around the longest has won an incredible 31 times. And concerning mascots, also in the first 48 Super Bowls, the New York Jets are the only team to reach the Super Bowl with an inanimate object as a mascot. Teams with bird mascots are 3 - 5 in those same 48 Super Bowl contests, with animal mascots overall going just 10 - 25 over that same stretch. Use the above trivia as you will when you bet on your next Super Bowl.

The top legally licensed and certified sports betting sites understand the spectacle that is the Super Bowl. There are millions of people every year that wager on the outcome of the Super Bowl, or place a Super Bowl prop bet, and that is their only gambling experience of the entire year. Because of this the best Internet sportsbooks entice you with very generous offerings like free bets and extra bonus money. For instance, when you hold an account at one of the seasoned sportsbooks that we have thoroughly reviewed, log into your account right after the Conference Championship games are over. You are guaranteed to receive special bonus money offerings, improved payout Super Bowl parlay and prop bets, free bets, mobile betting incentives and other attractive wagering options on the biggest professional football game of the year. If you are going to bet the Super Bowl, you may as well get paid to do so. Learn more about how to make your betting session as advantageous as possible with our football betting tips.