Super Bowl Opening Kickoff Odds 2026

The dynamic kickoff is supposed to promote more returns with fewer explosive collisions. But as we look at the history of opening kickoff touchbacks and prop bets, it's hard to tell how the recent changes will impact this Super Bowl prop.

For over a half-century, the Super Bowl opening kickoff almost always resulted in a return. We've seen a dramatic shift from that in recent years after yet another early touchback last year. But how does that impact the opening kickoff Super Bowl prop bets?

Let's take a look at the Super Bowl opening kickoff odds and predictions.

Super Bowl opening kickoff props

Super Bowl opening kickoff props will be available in late January 2026. Below are examples of the odds in each market using the Super Bowl 59 odds.

Will the opening kick be a touchback?

Below is a look at odds for whether the opening kick would be a touchback. As usual, "Yes" was a solid favorite last year.

We have seen the opening kickoff result in a touchback just 10 times during the 59-year history of the Super Bowl. However, four of those instances have come in the last four years.

Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker sent the ball flying through the back of the end zone with ease this past season, cashing "Yes" for the fourth straight Super Bowl and the third straight off his foot.

Why did the trend change so dramatically? It has everything to do with the recent NFL rule changes to the kickoff.

Which team will receive the opening kickoff?

This bet is essentially the same as betting on the Super Bowl coin toss odds. Both the AFC and NFC representative in the Super Bowl receive roughly 50% odds to win the wager, but with a slightly worse price.

Will a kickoff be returned for a touchdown?

This has happened only once in Super Bowl history, when Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in Super Bowl 41. It was one of the Chicago Bears' two touchdowns in a blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

The odds are always against another such touchdown in a Super Bowl, as just seven kickoffs were returned for touchdowns this season in the NFL. That's for kickoffs in general, let alone the first one in a game. However, the season prior there were just four kickoffs returned for TDs, so there's been a slight uptick.

This bet didn't cash in this past Super Bowl, and we aren't holding our breath for 2026, either.

Super Bowl opening kickoff touchback history

Here is a look at recent Super Bowl opening kickoff touchback history.

• Super Bowl 59 Chiefs vs. Eagles: Harrison Butker kicks touchback
• Super Bowl 58 49ers vs. Chiefs: Harrison Butker kicks touchback
• Super Bowl 57 Chiefs vs. Eagles: Harrison Butker kicks touchback
• Super Bowl 56 Rams vs. Bengals: Evan McPherson kicks touchback
• Super Bowl 55 Chiefs vs. Buccaneers: Harrison Butker kick returned by Tampa Bay's Jaydon Mickens 26 yards

Here's a look at some of the most significant historical trends tied to the Super Bowl opening kickoff after the 59th edition of the Big Game:

• A whopping 49 of the 59 Super Bowl opening kickoffs have been returned, including 26 of the last 32. But we've now seen four straight kickoffs result in a touchback, with the change in NFL rules no doubt an influence.
• The only six to result in a touchback over the last three decades were kicked indoors, as was the case with this past season's Super Bowl.
• All six opening kickoff touchbacks listed above also took place after the 2010 NFL rule change that moved the kickoff spot from the 30-yard line to the 35-yard line.
• No team has ever opened the Super Bowl with an onside kick attempt, though we've seen some notable instances later in the game.

How to read Super Bowl prop odds

Reading Super Bowl opening kickoff odds is straightforward. Odds are usually presented in a format like +500 or -200. Positive odds (e.g., +500) show how much profit you’d make on a $100 bet.

For example, a $100 bet at +500 odds would win you $500, plus your original $100 stake, totaling $600. Negative odds (e.g., -200) indicate how much you need to bet to win $100. So, a $200 bet at -200 odds would win you $100, plus your $200 stake, totaling $300.

These odds also reflect the probability of a particular Super Bowl outcome for the opening kickoff. Lower odds (e.g., +300) suggest a higher likelihood, while higher odds (e.g., +2000) indicate a lower probability. Sportsbooks adjust these odds based on stats, news, and betting patterns.

If Yes gets +500 odds and No gets +1000 odds for the opening kickoff to be returned for a touchdown, Yes is considered more likely to be the outcome. If you bet $100 on Yes, and the opening kickoff is returned for a score, you’d get $600 back ($500 profit + $100 stake).

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