Arizona is primed and ready to roll as the state gears up to host the NFL’s biggest game for the fourth time in 27 years Sunday.
When the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles take to the State Farm Stadium turf, they’ll become the latest teams to take part in a Big Game in the Valley.
Are you in town and looking to wager? BetArizona.com is your home for the best Super Bowl 57 free bets to take advantage of and spice up this week's festivities.
Sunday will be the first time Arizona has hosted the NFL’s championship since 2015, when New England and Seattle duked it out in Super Bowl XLIX, with New England coming away with a 28-24 victory.
Since then, Arizona sports betting has become legal, and this time the Chiefs and Eagles will look to join an elite list of teams that have etched their name on the Vince Lombardi Trophy more than once — while joining the three other teams to win it all in the Grand Canyon State.
BetArizona.com looked through the NFL’s archives to see how the state’s three previous Super Bowls went to get an idea of what fans can expect this weekend in Glendale.
Super Bowls in Arizona
1996: Super Bowl XXX
- Line: Dallas -13.5
- O/U: 51
- Final: Cowboys 27, Steelers 17
2008: Super Bowl XLII
- Line: New England -12
- O/U: 55
- Final: Giants 17, Patriots 14
2015: Super Bowl XLIX
- Line: Seattle -1
- O/U: 47.5
- Final: Patriots 28, Seahawks 24
2023: Super Bowl LVII (Eagles vs. Chiefs)
- Line: Philadelphia -1.5
- O/U: 50.5
Super Bowl XXX: Cowboys Win One For the Thumb
The final championship in the Cowboys’ golden era came at Tempe’s Sun Devil Stadium on Jan. 28, 1996.
Troy Aikman and company used a 10-point first quarter to seize control of Super Bowl XXX against AFC champion Pittsburgh en route to a 27-17 win — if there had been Arizona sports betting apps at the time, the Steelers would have been the biggest underdog in the state’s three NFL title games.
The Cowboys captured their fifth (and most recent) Super Bowl championship despite the Steelers thwarting their running game.
Aikman threw for 209 yards and a touchdown on 15-of-23 passing, outmaneuvering Steelers QB Neil O’Donnell, who threw for more yards (239), but had three interceptions.
Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown captured the MVP award after picking off O’Donnell twice.
Super Bowl XLII: Patriots Undefeated Season Dies
The Patriots appeared ready to match the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only teams to go undefeated in NFL history entering the Super Bowl XLII matchup with the 10-6 Giants in Glendale.
New England looked unbeatable through 18 games, outscoring opponents by an average margin of 6.3 points entering the Feb. 3 showdown at what was then known as University of Phoenix Stadium.
Oddsmakers saw the contest as a no-brainer, listing the Bill Belichick-coached Patriots as a 12-point betting favorite.
But the Giants jumped out to a 3-0 first quarter lead, before the Patriots moved in front on a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Laurence Maroney in the second quarter.
That’s where the game stood until the fourth quarter, when a then-unknown tight end by the name of David Tyree proceeded to pull down one of the defining catches in NFL history in the final minutes.
With less than two minutes to play and the Giants staring down a 14-10 deficit, Tyree found himself on the receiving end of a prayer from Eli Manning on third-and-5 from the Giants’ 44.
The journeyman tight end made what wound up being the final catch of his NFL career, pinning Manning’s heave to the ‘NY’ on the right side of his helmet as safety James Sanders and cornerback Asante Samuel helplessly tried to rip the ball free.
The ensuing first down allowed the Giants to march down the field, with wideout Plaxico Burress ultimately snagging the game-winning touchdown with 35 seconds on the clock from 13 yards out.
The 17-14 final was nowhere close to clearing the pregame over-under of 55, though the Giants had done something 18 other teams had failed to do.
New York’s victory as a 12.5-point underdog ranks as the third biggest upset in Super Bowl history, behind the Jets’ 16-7 win over the then-Baltimore Colts as an 18-point ‘dog in 1969 and the Patriots 20-17 victory over 14-point favorite St. Louis in 2002.
Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots Get Arizona Super Bowl Revenge
Seahawks fans are still cursing coach Pete Carroll’s decision to pass the ball from the shadow of the Patriots’ end zone some eight years later.
The Seahawks lost Super Bowl XLIX against the Patriots when Carroll called a pass play from the New England 1 with 26 seconds to play, leading to the Malcolm Butler interception that sealed Seattle’s fate.
While Tom Brady was game MVP, the rookie cornerback sealed the deal, jumping in front of Seahawks wideout Ricardo Lockette at the goal line to intercept a Russell Wilson pass and cap off a wild, 28-24 victory.
According to ESPN, Butler’s interception was the lone pick on the 1-yard line out of 109 attempts during the 2014-15 NFL season.
Outside of Butler’s game-saving interception, Brady was the story of XLIX, finishing with 328 yards and four touchdowns, outdueling Wilson, who had 247 yards and two scores to go with his last-minute turnover.
Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch carried 24 times for 102 yards and a touchdown, further mystifying viewers and teammates alike when Carroll decided to take the ball out of the All-Pro back’s hands down the stretch.
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