Super Bowl

Super Bowl coin toss history, results and more

The small ritual has become a Super Bowl staple on and off the field

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The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will face in a highly anticipated Super Bowl LVIII matchup. Here’s a look at some numbers behind the big game.

The biggest sporting event in the U.S. each year begins with a simple question: heads or tails?

The coin toss is a Super Bowl staple. The small ritual has major impacts, though – both on the field and in sportsbooks.

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Does tails ever fail in the Super Bowl? And is it actually better to lose the Super Bowl coin toss?

Let’s check out some coin toss history before Super Bowl LVIII kicks off in Las Vegas:

Super Bowl coin toss outcomes

Across the first 57 Super Bowls, the coin toss landed tails 30 times and heads 27 times.

The longest ever streak for one result went from Super Bowl XLIII to Super Bowl XLVII, when it landed heads five straight times. There have been three stretches in which the Super Bowl coin toss landed tails four straight times.

Prior to Super Bowl LVII, the winner of the coin toss went on to lose the game in eight straight Super Bowls. The Kansas City Chiefs bucked that trend last season, successfully calling tails, deferring to the second half and beating the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35.

Here is a look at the coin toss result, coin toss winner and game winner from the first 57 Super Bowls:

Super BowlTeamsHeads or tailsToss winnerGame winner
IChiefs vs. PackersHeadsPackersPackers
IIPackers vs. RaidersTailsRaidersPackers
IIIJets vs. ColtsHeadsJetsJets
IVVikings vs. ChiefsTailsVikingsChiefs
VColts vs. CowboysTailsCowboysColts
VICowboys vs. DolphinsHeadsDolphinsCowboys
VIIDolphins vs. WashingtonHeadsDolphinsDolphins
VIIIVikings vs. DolphinsHeadsDolphinsDolphins
IXSteelers vs. VikingsTailsSteelersSteelers
XCowboys vs. SteelersHeadsCowboysSteelers
XIRaiders vs. VikingsTailsRaidersRaiders
XIICowboys vs. BroncosHeadsCowboysCowboys
XIIISteelers vs. CowboysHeadsCowboysSteelers
XIVRams vs. SteelersHeadsRamsSteelers
XVRaiders vs. EaglesTailsEaglesRaiders
XVI49ers vs. BengalsTails49ers49ers
XVIIDolphins vs. WashingtonTailsDolphinsWashington
XVIIIWashington vs. RaidersHeadsRaidersRaiders
XIXDolphins vs. 49ersTails49ers49ers
XXBears vs. PatriotsTailsBearsBears
XXIBroncos vs. GiantsTailsBroncosGiants
XXIIWashington vs. BroncosHeadsWashingtonWashington
XXIIIBengals vs. 49ersTails49ers49ers
XXIV49ers vs. BroncosHeadsBroncos49ers
XXVBills vs. GiantsHeadsBillsGiants
XXVIWashington vs. BillsHeadsWashingtonWashington
XXVIIBills vs. CowboysHeadsBillsCowboys
XXVIIICowboys vs. BillsTailsCowboysCowboys
XXIXChargers vs. 49ersHeads49ers49ers
XXXCowboys vs. SteelersTailsCowboysCowboys
XXXIPatriots vs. PackersHeadsPatriotsPackers
XXXIIPackers vs. BroncosTailsPackersBroncos
XXXIIIBroncos vs. FalconsTailsFalconsBroncos
XXXIVRams vs. TitansTailsRamsRams
XXXVRavens vs. GiantsTailsGiantsRavens
XXXVIRams vs. PatriotsHeadsRamsPatriots
XXXVIIRaiders vs. BuccaneersTailsBuccaneersBuccaneers
XXXVIIIPanthers vs. PatriotsTailsPanthersPatriots
XXXIXPatriots vs. EaglesTailsEaglesPatriots
XLSeahawks vs. SteelersTailsSeahawksSteelers
XLIColts vs. BearsHeadsBearsColts
XLIIGiants vs. PatriotsTailsGiantsGiants
XLIIISteelers vs. CardinalsHeadsCardinalsSteelers
XLIVSaints vs. ColtsHeadsSaintsSaints
XLVSteelers vs. PackersHeadsPackersPackers
XLVIGiants vs. PatriotsHeadsPatriotsGiants
XLVIIRavens vs. 49ersHeadsRavensRavens
XLVIIISeahawks vs. BroncosTailsSeahawksSeahawks
XLIXPatriots vs. SeahawksTailsSeahawksPatriots
50Panthers vs. BroncosTailsPanthersBroncos
LIPatriots vs. FalconsTailsFalconsPatriots
LIIEagles vs. PatriotsHeadsPatriotsEagles
LIIIPatriots vs. RamsTailsRamsPatriots
LIV49ers vs. ChiefsTails49ersChiefs
LVChiefs vs. BuccaneersHeadsChiefsBuccaneers
LVIRams vs. BengalsHeadsBengalsRams
LVIIChiefs vs. EaglesTailsChiefsChiefs

Who chooses the Super Bowl coin toss?

While the Super Bowl is played at a neutral site each year, there are still “home” and “away” teams. Just like all other NFL games, the away team gets to choose between heads and tails for the opening coin toss.

Home and away designations for the Super Bowl alternate between conferences each year. For Super Bowl LVIII, the San Francisco 49ers will make the call against the Chiefs. 

Can you bet on the Super Bowl coin toss?

Fans can bet on the Super Bowl coin toss depending on where they are located.

While sports betting is legal in 38 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., many of those states specifically do not allow bets on the coin toss

Within days of the Super Bowl LVIII matchup being set, Caesars in Las Vegas took a $100,000 wager on tails.

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