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First half betting is always a popular option for savvy NFL bettors, and that is especially true for the Super Bowl. The books offer so many different lines that you can probably find one that works for you regardless of how you think the game will play out. Pinnacle offers three different first half lines. 5Dimes goes even further, offering five different lines to choose from. Let's take a look at each of the five available lines to see how we might be able to use them effectively to maximize our Super Bowl betting profits (all odds are from 5Dimes).

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New England (-7 +100) - This is the most straightforward line, and it will be the most widely available. Over the season the Patriots would have been profitable at this price, but not by a wide margin. They covered this spread in nine of their 18 games, and pushed in two others. Like the overall ATS performance of the Patriots, their success in covering the first half spreads was front loaded - they would have been 6-1-1 ATS against a seven point first half spread in their first eight games, but only 3-6-1 ATS down the stretch. They haven't covered this spread in any of their last three games dating back to the last game against the Giants. The Patriots will have to revert to their early season form in order to cover this first half betting line. Given that they are well rested, have two weeks to prepare, have been here before, and are on the brink of history, it isn't hard to imagine that they will. If you believe that, then the price is right. On the other hand, this hasn't been a good bet historically for the Patriots in the Super Bowl - they would have only covered this spread once in their three most recent appearances, and that was way back in their first visit. You would have been very happy if you had been able to bet the Giants with this kind of first half spread all season - there were only four occasions all year that they trailed by more than a touchdown after the first half, and it hasn't happened since they hosted Washington in week 15.

New England (-7.5 +120) - If you are bullish on the Patriots and you are considering giving the points then you probably don't feel like the line is particularly tight. In that case it probably makes sense to give up half a point in exchange for 20 percent more return on your investment. You're giving up the chance for a push, but if you think the Patriots will dominate then this may be worthwhile. It's the best price that you will be able to get on the Patriots. The Giants are at -140 here. At +7 the price is -120. The only difference between the two bets is that you would push and get your money back if the Patriots won by exactly seven points at +7, while you would still win here if that happened. You would have to decide for yourself whether that extra little bit of security is worth the significantly decreased return here. My guess is that it wouldn't be in most cases.

New England (-6.5 -132) - If you like the Patriots but you think that the line is a bit tight then you can buy the extra half point that will give you a win if the Patriots win the first half by half a point, but it will cost you. Because you are facing a price of -132 instead of +100 you would only want to make this bet if you think that the most likely outcome is for the Patriots to win the first half by exactly seven points. If you don't think that that is likely then it wouldn't make sense to sacrifice the extra profit. From the perspective of a Giants backer this offering could make a lot of sense. At a price of +112 the return is more attractive than the seven point spread, and would make sense if you don't really think that the Giants will need all the points they are being given. If, for example, you were thinking that the team was likely to lose by no more than a field goal then this bet would make much more sense than the +7 or +7.5.

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New England (-0.5 -270) - This isn't a particularly attractive line for Patriots backers. You would only like it if you thought that the Pats will win, but you aren't confident that it will be by much. You're paying a steep price, though - the Patriots would have covered this spread in 14 of their 18 games. That would be profitable at this price, but not by much. This spread makes more sense for Giants backers. If you think that they are likely to tie or win the first half then you can be handsomely rewarded for your opinion at +230.

New England (+0.5 -370) - It's very hard to figure out why anyone would seriously bet this spread as a Patriots backer. The Patriots would have covered this spread in 16 of 18 games this year, but you can get a ROI that is 30 percent better just by giving up the tie. If you think the Patriots are going to win then there are many different ways that you can get better value for your opinion. At the very least you should play the money line - it costs less at -330, and you get your money back on the tie. The obvious appeal for this spread would be for those who feel that the Giants will do what they did before and win the first half. If they do then those who make this bet would be paid off at +310.