Superbowl Squares

The reason I'll be watching the big game between the Packers and Steelers? The squares game.  As a man with a gambling problem and a favorite NFL team that hasn't had a winning season since I had hair, the squares make the game all worthwhile.

You know the drill, you fill your name out in a block of a 10x10 grid and once the grid is full, random numbers are assigned on the X and Y axis.  You find your  name and the numbers that correspond.  For example, if the Packers sit on the X axis and you drew a 3 and the Steelers sit on the Y axis and the corresponding number is 5, you would need the ones digit of the score to match your numbers.  So, Packers 23 and Steelers 15 at the end of the quarter can win you a chunk of prize pool.  Most pools break the scoring down into the four quarters so your 3 and 5 have a shot at winning four times.  However, will 3 and 5 be decent numbers on Sunday?  Ehhhh probably not.  Not according to a great blog entitled "2011 Super Bowl Squares Odds", by Casey Frushour.

According to Frushour, 5-3 have never hit in the big game.  Never!  In 44 big game tries, that combo has never hit on your squares after any quarter.  Let's take a look at the numbers you want on Sunday. Frushour states "The top six combos from 176 Super Bowl quarters . . . almost two-thirds of the scores end in 0, 3 or 7."    7-0 has hit 20 times in 44 games while 3-0 has hit 17 times.  0-0 and 7-3 come in at 13 times each. 

The numbers you don't want?  The list is longer than you'd expect!  Frushour continues with the data, In the last 44 big games, here is list of numbers that have Never hit to end a quarter:

1/1

2/1      2/2

3/2

5/2    5/3    5/4    5/5

6/2    6/5

7/5

8/3   8/4  8/5  8/7   8/8

9/3   9/9

Hey, any given Sunday, right? It can all break on Sunday and we can see a plethora of 2/2 's.  My boys and I will have our eyes glued to the tube on Sunday shouting out "Safety!" and "Go for two!" several times for myself, Rory, Joe, Jameson and Gary all hold numbers that have never hit in the big game.  Ever.   Nice job boys, nice job.  If "John R." isn't willing to trade me his square, this fella will be stuck with 6/5 on Sunday.   *sigh*