Super Bowl props add to big game board
Forget the spread, the total and the moneyline. Betting props for Sunday's big game will be popular with the public and sharps alike, helping to make this one of the largest betting events of the year. From who will win the game's MVP to how many tackles one player might tally to whether or not a safety will be recorded in the game, it's all part of the board. Speaking of recording, ladies and gentlemen, Carrie Underwood.
There’s a prop for that.
The Super Bowl is the single biggest explosion of betting activity on the sports calendar. You’ve got pomp. You’ve got circumstance. And you’ve got a marketplace filled with bettors who want something a little more exotic. How about a choice of several hundred Super Bowl prop bets?
Your response to that tantalizing offer will depend on what kind of bettor you are. There are some sharps who won’t touch a prop with a 10-foot pole. Others are picky and choosy, only taking props that inspire confidence in the outcome.
And you have a large public that is thinking more about fun than finance. With hundreds of Super Bowl props on the board, everyone who wants to play should find something to his or her liking.
Let’s start with the sharps. You’ve been doing your homework on the pointspread and/or the total. You’ve made yourself more than familiar with the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints, from players to coaches to what kind of aftershave they wear. That means you have accumulated the right body of knowledge to handle the kind of props that closely mirror your single-game bet. For example:
New Orleans Saints Total Team Points: 25½
That’s a pretty straightforward bet right there. It’s the same idea as a regular total, only with one of the two Super Bowl teams involved. We know the 2009 Saints have scored 32.6 points per game, while the Colts have allowed 18.2.
If we ignore the last two games of the regular season, the Saints have failed to score 26 points only twice: against the New York Jets in Week 4 (24 points) and the Dallas Cowboys (17 points) in Week 15. The Jets happen to have the best defense in the NFL, while the Cowboys rank No. 10 in defensive efficiency – although they came on strong in the second half to win the NFC East. The Colts defense only ranks No. 16 out of the 32 teams. It’s vulnerable to the 'over' in this situation.
There are many other prop bets available that deal exclusively with football. Some require a little more homework to get a handle on, like this timeless classic:
Will there be a safety in the game? (YES +750; NO -1500)
Again, this is a very simple prop to scout. Only six of the 43 Super Bowls thus far have produced a safety – including last year, when the Arizona Cardinals were awarded two points after Pittsburgh Steelers center Justin Hartwig was called for holding in the end zone.
At these odds, taking “YES” on every Super Bowl would have left you eight units in the black. Taking “NO” would have soaked you for 53 units. The books are putting very heavy chalk on “NO” in order to protect themselves from exposure. By this logic, “YES” is a value pick.
Now let’s have some fun. Over the last few years, the number of Super Bowl entertainment props has skyrocketed as more and more people tune in for reasons other than football. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a buck to be made on these props. Here’s one of the most popular:
How long will it take Carrie Underwood to sing the National Anthem? (One minute, 42 seconds)
It wouldn’t be the Super Bowl without an American Idol winner singing The Star-Spangled Banner. In this case, it’s country music superstar Carrie Underwood. Depending on your musical tastes, researching this prop can be a pleasure or a chore, but it’s simple enough to do.
Ms. Underwood has sung the National Anthem at a number of sporting events; her performance at the 2005-06 NFC title game took about one minute and 41 seconds. That’s three or four seconds longer than some of her other renditions available for viewing online.
But this is the Super Bowl. The significance of the moment practically demands a longer version. Jordin Sparks belted hers out in 1:54 at Super Bowl XLII to cash in the 'over,' Jennifer Hudson clocked in at about 2:11 last year, another easy 'over.' Yes, Virginia, there is value in these betting odds.
Forget the spread, the total and the moneyline. Betting props for Sunday's big game will be popular with the public and sharps alike, helping to make this one of the largest betting events of the year. From who will win the game's MVP to how many tackles one player might tally to whether or not a safety will be recorded in the game, it's all part of the board. Speaking of recording, ladies and gentlemen, Carrie Underwood.
There’s a prop for that.
The Super Bowl is the single biggest explosion of betting activity on the sports calendar. You’ve got pomp. You’ve got circumstance. And you’ve got a marketplace filled with bettors who want something a little more exotic. How about a choice of several hundred Super Bowl prop bets?
Your response to that tantalizing offer will depend on what kind of bettor you are. There are some sharps who won’t touch a prop with a 10-foot pole. Others are picky and choosy, only taking props that inspire confidence in the outcome.
And you have a large public that is thinking more about fun than finance. With hundreds of Super Bowl props on the board, everyone who wants to play should find something to his or her liking.
Let’s start with the sharps. You’ve been doing your homework on the pointspread and/or the total. You’ve made yourself more than familiar with the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints, from players to coaches to what kind of aftershave they wear. That means you have accumulated the right body of knowledge to handle the kind of props that closely mirror your single-game bet. For example:
New Orleans Saints Total Team Points: 25½
That’s a pretty straightforward bet right there. It’s the same idea as a regular total, only with one of the two Super Bowl teams involved. We know the 2009 Saints have scored 32.6 points per game, while the Colts have allowed 18.2.
If we ignore the last two games of the regular season, the Saints have failed to score 26 points only twice: against the New York Jets in Week 4 (24 points) and the Dallas Cowboys (17 points) in Week 15. The Jets happen to have the best defense in the NFL, while the Cowboys rank No. 10 in defensive efficiency – although they came on strong in the second half to win the NFC East. The Colts defense only ranks No. 16 out of the 32 teams. It’s vulnerable to the 'over' in this situation.
There are many other prop bets available that deal exclusively with football. Some require a little more homework to get a handle on, like this timeless classic:
Will there be a safety in the game? (YES +750; NO -1500)
Again, this is a very simple prop to scout. Only six of the 43 Super Bowls thus far have produced a safety – including last year, when the Arizona Cardinals were awarded two points after Pittsburgh Steelers center Justin Hartwig was called for holding in the end zone.
At these odds, taking “YES” on every Super Bowl would have left you eight units in the black. Taking “NO” would have soaked you for 53 units. The books are putting very heavy chalk on “NO” in order to protect themselves from exposure. By this logic, “YES” is a value pick.
Now let’s have some fun. Over the last few years, the number of Super Bowl entertainment props has skyrocketed as more and more people tune in for reasons other than football. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a buck to be made on these props. Here’s one of the most popular:
How long will it take Carrie Underwood to sing the National Anthem? (One minute, 42 seconds)
It wouldn’t be the Super Bowl without an American Idol winner singing The Star-Spangled Banner. In this case, it’s country music superstar Carrie Underwood. Depending on your musical tastes, researching this prop can be a pleasure or a chore, but it’s simple enough to do.
Ms. Underwood has sung the National Anthem at a number of sporting events; her performance at the 2005-06 NFC title game took about one minute and 41 seconds. That’s three or four seconds longer than some of her other renditions available for viewing online.
But this is the Super Bowl. The significance of the moment practically demands a longer version. Jordin Sparks belted hers out in 1:54 at Super Bowl XLII to cash in the 'over,' Jennifer Hudson clocked in at about 2:11 last year, another easy 'over.' Yes, Virginia, there is value in these betting odds.