Super Bowl LIX👅: By the numbers

The numbers on the scoreboard on Sunday will decide who wins the Lombardi Trophy. But until then, numbers surrounding the big game, arguably the world’s largest annual sporting event, will have to do.

Some tidbits to drop at the Super Bowl party

Gambling is up. Americans are expected to bet a record $1.39 billion legally on this year’s Super Bowl, a record amount. This year’s prop bets include whether Travis Kelce will propose to Taylor Swift on-field after the game, the color of Gatorade poured on the winning coach, which song Kendrick Lamar will play first during the halftime show (and whether Drake will release a track of his own on Super Bowl Sunday), and more.

It’s a bad day to be a chicken wing. 1.47 billion chicken wings are expected to be eaten on Sunday (enough to circle the Earth three times), along with 107 million lbs of snack food. Overall, Super Bowl Sunday is the second-highest food consumption day in the US, after Thanksgiving.

Super Bowl ads cost $8 million/pop. That’s up from last year’s record $7 million per 30-second commercial. On the screen – expect to see OpenAI for the first time, as well as more advertisers using celebrities and humor in spots in continuation of an ongoing trend. (Click here for a sneak peek of some commercials ahead of the game.)

🏈 As for the on-field action…Here are some key matchups to watch + expert predictions.

P.S. A version of this article first appeared in Press Sports, a sports-focused newsletter we own. Sign up free to receive The DONUT, but for sports, in your inbox 2x/week.