NFL bettors are always looking for an edge, and that's especially true during one of the most bet-heavy times of the year.
From people camping outside of host stadiums to hear if the anthem will hit the over or under, to SoFi Stadium blaring Bon Jovi to prevent people from hearing the Super Bowl 56 halftime show soundcheck... billions of dollars change hands on Super Bowl Sunday.
While the Super Bowl is chock full of prop bets, but one of the hardest things to predict is final score. NFL fans, however, think they have it figured out because of a now-deleted tweet that "spoils" the final score.
The tweet goes back to a "script", which former NFLer Arian Foster joked about on a podcast last week. Simply put, Foster inferred that everything that happens in the NFL is pre-determined. He has been widely criticized for such a notion. Nevertheless, it led to a storm of tweets from players and fans alike. One such tweet showed a Pro Football Reference page with a score of 37-34 between the Eagles and Chiefs (with the Eagles winning), leading to a flurry of bets being placed on that as the final.
Most bet (tickets) Super Bowl correct score:
— John Ewing 🦁 (@johnewing) February 7, 2023
Eagles 37-34 Chiefs
Odds have moved from +25000 to +8000 at @BetMGM pic.twitter.com/TyIjjxWeyG
As that tweet says, so dramatic has the storm of bets been it has reduced the odds to +8000 from +25000.
MORE: Watch Super Bowl 57 live with fuboTV (free trial)
Is it naive, or is it just clinging onto any bit of information in the hopes bettors get lucky?
Super Bowl script 'leaked'
Let's make something very clear from the top: There isn't a script.
However, after the initial tweet, multiple different accounts stole it and reposted the PFR page with the "leaked" final score. The details of the page are correct. The game is being played Sunday, Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in State Farm Stadium. The teams are coached by Nick Sirianni and Andy Reid.
Attendance is also listed at 63,381, and State Farm Stadium's capacity is listed at 64,000.
A reporter tried to show Eagles receiver A.J. Brown the so-called script during media week, but he turned it down.
“No, I’m just going to do what I’ve been doing and keep playing,” Brown said, per PennLive. “I’m not thinking about the script.”
What is the Chiefs vs. Eagles 'script?'
According to the allegedly "leaked" script, the Chiefs are going to fall to the Eagles 37-34 in Super Bowl 57.
From the limited information being shown on the page, the Eagles will be shut out in the first quarter before scoring 13 points in the second, 11 in the third, and 13 more in the fourth (unless the game goes into overtime).
The origins of this image are unknown, although according to Snopes it was done by manipulating some code to get the Eagles and Chiefs (with the correct date, location, and time) on a game that had already finished 37-34 earlier this year (Raiders vs. 49ers on New Year's Day). It appears to be a phone photo taken of a screen.
How did the 'script' conspiracy start?
The Super Bowl script emerged from a quote from Foster, in which he quipped to PFT Commenter about the idea NFL players get scripts before each season.
"We were really dedicated to it," Foster said. "So it was moreso like that's what practice was about, it was about practicing the script. Like this is what goes on, this is what we have to do ... WWF so we know what was gonna happen but you still have to put on a show."
From there, the NFL and NBA worlds in particular seized the joke and ran with it, with professionals themselves joking about their respective "scripts."
It's a joke that got out of hand, culminating in the posting of the "photo" that is now leading to these bets.
What is the Chiefs vs. Eagles over/under?
Once thing that is directly influenced by this is the over/under, which was set at 50.5 as of Thursday evening via FanDuel.
According to that score, the O/U would be shattered, with a cumulative score of 71.
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The Eagles, for their part, have given up 30-plus points four times this season, and they're 2-2 in those games. The Chiefs have given up 30-plus just once, back on Oct. 2 in a win over the Buccaneers.
In other words, it would be surprising to see a shootout in this fashion, but it's hardly unheard of.
Who is the favorite in Chiefs vs. Eagles?
As of Thursday, per FanDuel, the Eagles are 1.5-point favorites over the Chiefs.
The betting public is going for the money line favorite, with that in mind.
While that tweet may have been made in jest, some people are just looking for any sign to put money down. It appears this was the catalyst for those people.
Per Action Network, the tweet had over 12 million views. As a result, the Eagles winning 37-34 became the most bet-on score in Super Bowl 57.
