Super Bowl referee Shawn Smith isn’t flag-happy, but his crew calls defensive pass interference at one of the highest rates in the NFL. Here’s how it could impact Seahawks vs. Patriots betting markets.
Shawn Smith lets games flow, but his crew’s tendency to call defensive pass interference could loom large in Seahawks vs. Patriots.Super Bowl bettors have spent weeks breaking down the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, searching for any edge before kickoff on February 8.
, who is making his first Super Bowl appearance as crew chief. While referee trends should never be the primary driver of a bet, they can provide context, especially when certain penalties carry massive yardage swings. During the 2025 season, Smith’s games leaned slightly toward favorites, who went 11-6 straight up and 9-8 against the spread. In two games officiated by Smith, the While these trends are interesting, they’re also overblown in terms of importance. What bettors should really weigh is what type of penalties Smith’s crew calls most often and how likely the Super Bowl contenders are to get flagged for them.per game this season. That sits just short of the league average of 12.5 penalties. This was more prominent in their one playoff game , with only seven flags in their Divisional Round appearance. Fewer penalties mean fewer stoppages and additional yards, at least when those penalties are on the defense. Lowest in offensive holding per game The third most common penalty flag for Shawn Smith’s crew is defensive pass interference — the most combustible call in football officiating. On the season, this group has thrown the flag 23 times for DPI, equating to 241 penalty yards over 17 games, which is tied for the third-highest average of DPI calls per game among all officiating crews.Furthermore, this crew most recently called the Divisional Round matchup between the Patriots and the Houston Texans, which saw only seven total penalties. Three of those were for defensive pass interference, with two on the Patriots — both coming against corner Carlton Davis III. Davis leads the NFL in defensive pass interference penalties with 10 total in 20 games, which has gift-wrapped 8.35 yards to opponents per outing. Smith and his crew aren’t trigger-happy when it comes to throwing the flags, which means fewer stoppages in time and any bonus yards awarded. This would benefit those leaning toward theThis referee group has called DPI at the third-highest rate in the NFL, and the Patriots have the most frequent perpetrator of this penalty in CB Carlton Davis III. I was already high on Seattle WR Rashid Shaheed heading into Super Bowl LX, given his deep threat and the fact Seahawks QBIf the referees are going to have an impact on the outcome of this game, it will be dinging Davis for a DPI for a massive gain for Seattle.On top of their standard season salary, NFL referees receive a Super Bowl bonus for officiating the Big Game. This bonus is around $50,000 and is awarded to each member of the officiating crew regardless of seniority or experience. All referees assigned to the Super Bowl receive the same amount.There are seven on-field officials including the Referee, Umpire, Down Judge, Line Judge, Field Judge, Side Judge, and Back Judge.It’s an earned honor. The league uses a merit-based system, grading every play of every game during the regular season. Only the highest-rated officials at each position are eligible for the Super Bowl. In his 20 years with Covers, lead NFL betting analyst; has seen it all and bet it all. Through the wild west of early Internet gambling to lobbying for legalized sports betting to our brave new wagering world, Jason has been a consistent source of actionable info and entertainment for squares and sharps alike. Since joining the Covers team back in 2005, he honed his handicapping skills to provide audiences with the most thorough insights, blending traditional capping methods with advanced modelling and predictive analysis. Jason has studied the ins and outs of the sports betting business, learning from some of the most successful gamblers in the industry and the biggest sportsbook operators on the planet. He is under center for Covers during NFL season as our top NFL expert, taking the points in his infamous NFL Underdogs column and representing the Covers Community at the Super Bowl. While he lives for football season, Jasons first love is basketball and that shows in his in-depth NBA, NCAA, and WNBA betting breakdowns. On top of being a mainstay in media from coast to coast; WPIX, PHL17, Fox 5 San Diego, WGNO, TSN, SportsNet, ESPN Radio; he had his analysis featured in USA Today, MSNBC, ESPN, the Wall Street Journal, CBS, Bloomberg, the L.A. Times, the New York Times and other major publications. You can also find JLo stuffing all the top picks and predictions he can into 10 minutes as the host of Covers; flagship podcast, The Sharp 600.Super Bowl Player Props: Our Best Seahawks vs Patriots Prop Picks and Odds for Drake Maye, Sam Darnold & MoreCopyright © 1995 - 2026 CS Media Limited All Rights Reserved. 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