There’s one reason why I love the Super Bowl…even when my favorite team (Indianapolis Colts) is sitting at home. PROP BETS!
I have hit on many prop bets in the past and I’ve picked correctly on the length of the National Anthem in 8 of the last 10 Super Bowls. You can find a prop bet for just about anything. You can even find cross-sports bets like over/under Russell Wilson passing in Super Bowl vs. combined score of the Boston Celtics/Orlando Magic game. You can go over to SportsBettingDime.com to find all the sports betting sites that offer interesting props.
We’ll cover all the usual prop bets (coin toss, MVP, etc) and throw in a few curveballs for you to ponder.
I LOVE this time of the year!
COIN TOSS
Heads (-102) vs. Tails (-102)
PICK – HEADS!
If you pick ‘tails’, there’s something wrong with you…or believe the ‘tails never fails’ maxim. It will be ‘heads’, I have a hunch.
WHAT COLOR WILL THE GATORADE BE THAT IS DUMPED ON THE WINNING HEAD COACH?
Blue (+750)
Chicken Broth (+5000)
Clear/Water (+200)
Hot Chocolate (+5000)
Lime Green (+1000)
None (Even)
Orange (+450)
Red (+750)
Yellow (+350)
PICK – ORANGE
It’s 2014, no one will pour hot chocolate or chicken broth on a coach. A lawsuit would be filed before they presented the Vince Lombardi trophy. If you believe the Broncos will win, it will either be orange or yellow. If you’re a Seattle believer, do they go with a team color (blue/green)? I believe the Broncos will win, so I’m going with orange at a nice +450 number. The longshot is lime green…it’s the darkhorse pick!
LENGTH OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
Over/Under 139.5 seconds
PICK – UNDER
I’m going against the grain with this pick. I’ve went ‘over’ on the national anthem prop for many years, but Carrie Underwood sprinted through the national anthem at Super Bowl 46 in 101 seconds. Renee Fleming is this year’s National Anthem singer. She’s an opera singer, so the common thinking is that she will drag it out. I think it will be close, but 139 seconds is a LONG version. The phrase ‘Renee Fleming National Anthem’ will be searched more times on YouTube than anything else this week. We need to scout!
HOW MANY TIMES WILL PEYTON MANNING SAY ‘OMAHA’
Over/Under 28.5
PICK – OVER
Peyton is a creature of habit. He will not change anything in his cadence for the Super Bowl. He will say ‘Omaha’ just as much as in any other game. The Under is at -140 and the Over is even odds. I love the ‘over’ for this prop bet.
WHAT WILL THE NIELSEN TV RATING BE FOR SUPER BOWL XLIII?
Over/Under 47.5
PICK – OVER
I wouldn’t normally go over with this bet, but Peyton Manning is beloved and the majority of the country wants to see him win ring #2. Also, most of the Midwest will be snowed in, so what else are they going to watch?
SUPER BOWL MVP
Peyton Manning (+110)
Russell Wilson (+360)
Marshawn Lynch (+450)
Knowshon Moreno (+1700)
Demaryius Thomas (+2000)
Richard Sherman (+2500)
Eric Decker (+4000)
Wes Welker (+4000)
Doug Baldwin (+4000)
Earl Thomas (+4500)
PICK – PEYTON MANNING
If the Broncos win the game, the MVP trophy will automatically go to Peyton, right? In his lone Super Bowl win, Dominic Rhodes was very close to getting the trophy over him. It would be fun to throw a few jellybeans at Knownshon Moreno or Marshawn Lynch…just as a flyer.
PLAYER TO SCORE FIRST TOUCHDOWN
Marshawn Lynch (+600)
Knowshon Moreno (+800)
Demaryius Thomas (+850)
Wes Welker (+900)
Eric Decker (+900)
Julius Thomas (+900)
Montee Ball (+1500)
Golden Tate (+1800)
Doug Baldwin (+1800)
NO TDs SCORE IN GAME (+15000)
PICK – ERIC DECKER
I hit on this bet during the Packers/Steelers Super Bowl a few years ago. I picked Jordy Nelson and he was +1800. I’m rolling the dice and picking another underrated white receiver.
* HERE COMES THE RANDOM PROPS!! *
BRITTON COLQUITT’S SHORTEST PUNT
Over/Under 33.5 yards
PICK – OVER
Colquitt is Denver’s punter, so he’ll get a few attempts on Sunday. 33 yards is a really short punt. He will only hit under that mark if it is blocked or if the Broncos are barely out of field goal range and has to pooch punt. I like the ‘over’ pick a lot.
JERMAINE KEARSE’S TOTAL RECEIVING YARDS
Over/Under 11.5
PICK – UNDER
I don’t expect Russell Wilson to ‘go off’ in the Super Bowl. Well, ‘go off’ enough to pass the ball to any other receiver than Tate, Harvin or Baldwin. Kearse will be lucky to even get a target.
WHO WILL HAVE MORE ON FEB 1ST/2ND?
Kevin Durant Points +6.5
Peyton Manning Pass Attempts -6.5
PICK – KEVIN DURANT
Peyton is giving nearly seven pass attempts. I think Durant could easily get 40 points against the Wizards. I don’t see Manning getting near 50 pass attempts against Seattle.
WHO WILL HAVE MORE?
Tiger Woods 4th Round Score
Eric Decker Receiving Yards
PICK – ERIC DECKER
I can’t put into words how much I LOVE this prop. I love that this is even available! I’m picking Eric Decker, since Richard Sherman will be on Demaryius Thomas for most of the game. I think Decker will have over 80 yards to win this prop.
WHO WILL HAVE MORE?
Lionel Messi Goals
Peyton Manning Interceptions
PICK – PEYTON MANNING
I actually think this prop will end in a push. Messi will score one goal and Manning will have one pick. If you were twisting my arm, I would pick Manning, since I’ve seen him win many games after throwing two interceptions.
WHO WILL HAVE MORE?
Indiana University Men’s Basketball Team – First Half Points
Seattle Seahawks Total Points
PICK – INDIANA
Indiana plays in the Big Ten, so points are at a premium. I see IU cracking 30 points in the first half and that’s about the maximum I see Seattle scoring in the Super Bowl.
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About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.