Heads or tails... a question as old as time and one that has become a cornerstone of Super Bowl odds betting for die hards and casuals alike.
We still have no idea who will be representing the AFC and NFC for Super Bowl 60, but what we do know is they'll be asked the same question 118 other teams were... heads or tails?
While books are yet to list odds for this year's coin toss, we can take a look back at last year to help paint a picture on what we can expect when the time comes in San Francisco.
Coin toss odds for Super Bowl 60
Super Bowl coin toss prop bets are among the handful of odds markets not decided between the whistles. Similar to national anthem props, coin toss props are quick and exciting, making them a great opener to your Big Game betting.
Heads or tails odds
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Super Bowl coin toss history
The Super Bowl coin toss prop has been a staple of Big Game betting for decades, ushered in by the explosion of online sportsbooks in the late 1990s. Since then, football fans have been trying to find an inside edge when it comes to capping the coin toss.
However, as any statistician will tell you, a coin toss is a 50/50 proposition every time you flip it. The result isn’t influenced by previous results or any past trends that always seem to pop up on Super Sunday.
That said, here are some fun facts surrounding the Super Bowl coin toss:
Tails out front
Over 59 Super Bowls, Tails has been the winning side 31 times, including six of the past ten Big Games, while Heads has won 28 times.
NFC is dominant in toss
The NFC holds a significant edge in Super Bowl coin toss wins with 37, including a 14-year streak between Super Bowl XXXII (1998) and Super Bowl XLV (2011), while the AFC has won only 22 tosses.
That said, the Chiefs won the coin toss three years in a row. Can the next team out of the AFC keep that streak alive?
Winning the flip doesn’t mean winning the game
The winner of the coin toss is far from a shoo-in to win the Lombardi Trophy, going just 26-33 (44%) in the past 59 Super Bowl games. Just ask Kansas City, who is still smarting from what the Eagles did to it last year.
Since 2008, when a rule change allowed coin toss winners to defer receiving to the second half, winners of the Super Bowl coin toss have opted to take the ball to begin the second half in 13 of the past 14 NFL championships.
New Orleans in Super Bowl XLIV (2010) was the only coin toss winner to elect to receive the ball to open the game during this span.
| Super Bowl | Heads/Tails | Coin toss winner | Coin toss winner wins game |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heads | Packers | Yes |
| 2 | Tails | Raiders | No |
| 3 | Heads | Jets | Yes |
| 4 | Tails | Vikings | No |
| 5 | Tails | Cowboys | No |
| 6 | Heads | Dolphins | No |
| 7 | Heads | Dolphins | Yes |
| 8 | Heads | Dolphins | Yes |
| 9 | Tails | Steelers | Yes |
| 10 | Heads | Cowboys | No |
| 11 | Tails | Raiders | Yes |
| 12 | Heads | Cowboys | Yes |
| 13 | Heads | Cowboys | No |
| 14 | Heads | Rams | No |
| 15 | Tails | Eagles | No |
| 16 | Tails | 49ers | Yes |
| 17 | Tails | Dolphins | No |
| 18 | Heads | Raiders | Yes |
| 19 | Tails | 49ers | Yes |
| 20 | Tails | Bears | Yes |
| 21 | Tails | Broncos | No |
| 22 | Heads | Redskins | Yes |
| 23 | Tails | 49ers | Yes |
| 24 | Heads | Broncos | No |
| 25 | Heads | Bills | No |
| 26 | Heads | Redskins | Yes |
| 27 | Heads | Bills | No |
| 28 | Tails | Cowboys | Yes |
| 29 | Heads | 49ers | Yes |
| 30 | Tails | Cowboys | Yes |
| 31 | Heads | Patriots | No |
| 32 | Tails | Packers | No |
| 33 | Tails | Falcons | No |
| 34 | Tails | Rams | Yes |
| 35 | Tails | Giants | No |
| 36 | Heads | Rams | No |
| 37 | Tails | Buccaneers | Yes |
| 38 | Tails | Panthers | No |
| 39 | Tails | Eagles | No |
| 40 | Tails | Seahawks | No |
| 41 | Heads | Bears | No |
| 42 | Tails | Giants | Yes |
| 43 | Heads | Cardinals | No |
| 44 | Heads | Saints | Yes |
| 45 | Heads | Packers | Yes |
| 46 | Heads | Patriots | No |
| 47 | Heads | Ravens | Yes |
| 48 | Tails | Seahawks | Yes |
| 49 | Tails | Seahawks | No |
| 50 | Tails | Panthers | No |
| 51 | Tails | Falcons | No |
| 52 | Heads | Patriots | No |
| 53 | Tails | Rams | No |
| 54 | Tails | 49ers | No |
| 55 | Heads | Chiefs | No |
| 56 | Heads | Bengals | No |
| 57 | Tails | Chiefs | Yes |
| 58 | Heads | Chiefs | Yes |
| 59 | Tails | Chiefs | No |
Super Bowl coin toss betting explained
A simple coin flip has become one of the most popular and fun Super Bowl betting options, with all sportsbooks offering at least odds on “Heads or Tails”. But there’s more than one way to wager on the coin toss results.
What is the Super Bowl coin toss?
To determine which team will receive the ball first in the Super Bowl, a coin is tossed, and the designated road team (NFC team in even-numbered Super Bowls, AFC team in odd-numbered Super Bowls) calls either Heads or Tails.
The winner of the coin toss can choose to kick the ball to the other team to open the first half (allowing them to receive the kickoff in the second half) or receive the opening kick after halftime (and kick off to start the second half).
Can you legally bet on the Super Bowl coin toss?
Many sportsbooks offer Super Bowl coin toss odds, but they may not be available in every state where betting on sports is legal and regulated. Betting on the coin flip is legal in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Illinois, Tennessee, and Michigan.
Not all regulated jurisdictions offer markets for Super Bowl novelty props. Here's where you can legally bet on the Super Bowl coin toss:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- DC
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
- Ontario
- Rest of Canada
Pretty much every online sportsbook will offer the basic “Heads or Tails” Super Bowl coin toss prop. However, other props based around the coin toss will vary from book to book.
The juice/vig around these coin toss props can vary from book to book, so if you are looking for the best possible return on your prop bets, be sure to shop around if multiple sportsbook options are available in your region. Have a look at our best Super Bowl betting sites if you're looking for a trusted option.
How to bet on the coin toss
Along with other Super Bowl odds, it's important to learn how to bet on Super Bowl prop markets. When it comes to Super Bowl bets, the coin toss prop is the simplest wager you can make. There’s no deep dive into analytics nor do you need to be a savvy sports bettor to find an edge. It’s a 50/50 chance no matter how you toss it.
Because the coin toss is a random result, bettors should bet responsibly and treat the coin toss as a fun bet, always staying within their means. Sportsbooks are also cautious when it comes to the coin toss, setting stricter bet size limits on this prop than other Super Bowl betting odds.
Heads or tails prop
The most common Super Bowl coin toss prop is “Heads or Tails”. You just bet on which side of the coin will turn up.
Sportsbooks will assign a cost to each side, also known as juice or vig. For example, a coin toss prop could have -105 juice on Heads and Tails, meaning for every $1 you wish to win on the coin toss, you would have to wager $1.05 (bet $105 to win $100).
A prop market like this is a great example of why it’s so important to shop around at different sportsbooks before making your bet. Some betting sites might only offer odds of -115 on the coin toss prop, meaning you’d need to wager $115 just to win $100.
Coin toss winner prop
Another bet you can place is on the coin toss winner prop, which allows you to wager on which team will win the coin toss and get to choose whether to kick or receive to begin the game.
Much like “Heads or Tails”, each team is assigned a price/juice for the coin toss winner prop. For example, the NFC and AFC teams could both be set at -105 (bet $105 to win $100).
Coin toss winner also wins Super Bowl prop
In combination with the coin toss winner prop, you can also bet on if the winner of the coin toss will go on to win the Super Bowl itself. This is most often presented in a “Yes/No” format.
You would think dictating the opening of the game could give the coin toss winner an edge, however, Super Bowl betting history shows us that the winner of the coin toss has gone on to win the Lombardi Trophy just over 44 percent of the time.
Super Bowl coin toss FAQs
Yes. Most sportsbooks offer at least a “Heads or Tails” Super Bowl coin toss prop bet.
The designated road team calls the coin toss. The NFC champion is the road team in even-numbered Super Bowls while the AFC champion is the road team in odd-numbered Super Bowls.
In 2021 for Super Bowl 55, the Kansas City Chiefs called heads and won the coin toss.
You can find odds for Super Bowl coin toss prop bets in the days after the AFC and NFC Championship Games are completed and the two Super Bowl contenders are set. Some online sportsbooks do offer year-around odds on “Heads or Tails” for the Super Bowl.
