Super Bowl Squares – Odds of Winning

For those that might not have a strong rooting interest in the Super Bowl, office pools and other wagering opportunities bring added entertainment value to the Super Bowl.  Like many people, I buy “squares” for the Super Bowl (for entertainment purposes only, of course).

In case you’re not well versed in “squares” or want to learn how to set up your own pool, check out this site.  You’ll select a square from a 10 x 10 grid.   After the teams and numbers have been assigned, you have your rooting interest. The last number of the score for each team represents a number on the grid.  If you have Pittsburgh 4 and Arizona 7, and the score is 14-17 in favor of the Cardinals, you would win.   Most pools pay out each quarter, but there are many different payout possibilities, including reverse, touching squares, etc.,  so be sure to check with the pool operator for complete rules.

I found this grid that shows your odds of winning based on actual Super Bowl results.   The number inside the grid represents the number of times that square has hit during one of the previous 41 Super Bowls.  (Full disclosure – this was taken prior to the 2008 Patriots – Giants game, so it is not 100% complete, but should give  a pretty good sense of your chances.) The *’s in some boxes represent the number of times this square was a final score, when pools often have higher payouts.

So if you get a 0 or a 7, there’s a much higher probability of winning, especially compared to getting a 5 or 8.  In case anyone from the IRS is reading this, I NEVER win these things.  Have fun and play responsibly!