$1.39 billion is being wagered on the Super Bowl: Biggest bets on Chiefs, Eagles

Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles feels guaranteed to be a classic, Patrick Mahomes hoping to deliver a historic threepeat for K.C. against arguably the deepest roster in the NFL in Philly. Also a guarantee on Sunday night: a whole lot of people will be watching, and a whole lot of people will be placing bets on the action.

The Super Bowl is, year in and year out, far and away the most heavily bet single sporting event in the country. And that will be even more true this year, as 38 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have moved to offer legal sports gambling. But just how big will the action get this time around? Let's dive into the numbers.

How much money is being bet on the Super Bowl?

According to the American Gaming Association, Americans are expected to place some $1.39 billion worth of legal bets on the Super Bowl. That's a significant uptick from the $1.25 billion estimate from last year's Big Game between the Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. But in reality, that number is just scratching the surface of the amount of money changing hands on Sunday: Last year, when the AGA still estimated the total amount of all bets — including everything from illegal sportsbooks to office pools to casual wagers between friends — the number was somewhere around $23 billion.

That is, obviously, quite a chunk of change. But in which direction is it headed? Here's where some of the largest bets are going before kickoff.

Biggest bets on Chiefs, Eagles ahead of Super Bowl LIX

While the Eagles remain slight underdogs to Kansas City, the Birds have been drawing some very big action in Vegas in recent days. In fact, the two biggest bets taken on this Super Bowl so far have been in Philly's direction: BetMGM Nevada has has received bets worth $800,000 and $750,000 on the Eagles moneyline at +110. For those keeping score at home, those wagers are set to pay out $1.68 million and $1.575 million, respectively, if they cash.

DraftKings took $300,000 from a single bettor spread across three bets, all on the Eagles, with combined odds of +104. If the Eagles win, it would mean a profit of $311,593 (total payout: $611,593).
Caesars Sports, meanwhile, took a $225,000 bet on Eagles -105 to win, good for a profit of $214,286 (total payout: $439,286).

But Philly isn't the only team drawing very big money. The largest bet on the Chiefs comes courtesy of BetMGM Nevada, where one bettor put $345,000 on Chiefs -1 at -115. Another bet saw $326,000 on the Chiefs moneyline at -130, for a total payout of $586,769.23 if Kansas City wins. Who will be getting lucky on Sunday night? We'll just have to wait and see.