Super Bowl squares have become one of the most popular ways to bet the big game. And if you've never played squares, it's really simple. The betting venture, popular at game-day parties, plays out on a grid that contains 100 empty squares in rows and columns of 10. Think of it as a souped-up version of Bingo.

One Super Bowl team is assigned the (horizontal) rows, its opponent the (vertical) columns. Numbers between zero and nine are chosen for each column and row. They determine every possible point combination, with the number referring to the last digit of each team's score.

For example, if the final score of Super Bowl LII were Patriots 20, Eagles 17, then the person who has the square corresponding to a zero for the Patriots and seven for the Eagles wins. Some pools randomly determine who gets which squares, while others auction off each spot.

Some pools pay out at the end of every quarter and award bonus prizes for the halftime score.

There's a method to winning your football pools, and Mike Tierney knows what it is.

Part of his success: Tierney is a seasoned veteran when it comes to covering the NFL. A national sportswriter whose work appears in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, he has reported from seven Super Bowls. He knows what it takes to win at Super Bowl squares, and has some surprising strategies to give you an edge.

Tierney knows, for example, that the number four has cashed in four of the last five Super Bowls, including the final score of the last three games (Seahawks 24, Broncos 24, and Patriots 34).

The number four appeared in 10.4 percent of all Super Bowls through the 2012 game, according to a Harvard Sports Analysis Collective study.

Tierney also knows that zero has been a winner 26.9 percent of the time in Super Bowls through 2012. That's the highest of any number, and makes sense since a touchdown is worth seven points and a field goal is worth three points. Make one of each and a team has 10 points.

But Tierney knows there's a number you're not even thinking about that can land you a big payday come Super Bowl LII between the Eagles and Patriots. There's also a number you need to avoid like the plague since it only hits 2 percent of the time.

And after thoroughly examining game results for both teams, he also lays out his optimal football squares strategy to give you a leg up.

So what numbers should you pay a premium for in your Super Bowl 52 squares pool, and in what combinations? Visit SportsLine now to get Mike Tierney's detailed Super Bowl Squares strategy, all from the man who's reported from seven Super Bowls, and find out.