heres something for all you superbowl prop bettors.

As always, the sports books in Las Vegas have released proposition bets galore for Super Sunday. You see, with wagering opportunities in abundance for gamblers, the books stand to take in more action and therefore, collect more profit as the 10 percent vigorish (or more in some cases) adds up.

Let's take a look at some of the prop-bet options and I'll give you my approach to these wagers for Super Bowl XL.

For starters, I'm of the mindset that your pick (or picks) for the side and/or total should determine whether or not you are a winner or loser Sunday. In other words, don't hesitate to play a few props for laughs, but devote most of your bankroll toward the bets (the side and total) that are most likely to keep your interest for four quarters.

My first rule is to completely stay away from the props that are completely based on luck. That would be who wins the coin flip, who challenges a call first, who will receive the opening kickoff, etc. There are no edges to be found for these wagers, so staying away from them altogether is your best bet.

For other props, I approach them with the same philosophy I use in betting baseball. For those of you familiar with my style in bases, I refuse to lay prices more expensive than minus 130. Even if you see a play that looks easy, don't bite on it if the price tag is more expensive than minus 130.

A few examples of this are in the player props for Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Will he throw or pass on the first play from scrimmage? If you want to bet "yes," you have to lay an expensive minus 170 price (risk $170 to win $100), while "no" wagers offer a plus-140 (risk $100 to win $140) payoff.

Even if you're nearly certain the Steelers will pass on their first play, is it really worth the risk? For starters, any running play will lose and even if the Steelers elect to pass, a sack or Roethlisberger scramble could send "no" backers to the counter with all smiles.

For Big Ben's total completions, the number is 16, but 'over' bets require a minus-150 payment, while 'under' wagers are plus 120 on the comeback.


So, my advice is to avoid the expensive prices, instead looking for "plus" odds that provide value. For instance, let's say that a gambler is real high on the Steelers in this game. An option that's available to pick up major profits is betting the Steelers on the adjusted line.

With adjusted lines, oddsmakers shift the spread on the game to a different number and then change the odds. For example, Pittsburgh can be had at minus 7 1/2 for a plus-145 return. Other options are the Steelers minus 10 1/2 (+200), minus 14 1/2 (+375), minus 17 1/2 (+400) and minus 21 1/2 (+550).

The same options are available for gamblers loving the Seahawks. They are minus 3 1/2 for a plus-220 return. Other options with even greater value include Seattle minus 7 1/2 (+375) and minus 10 1/2 (+475).

This scenario is also offered for plays on the total. If you expect a low-scoring game, you can play the 'under' at 35 1/2 for a plus-300 payoff. On the other hand, 'over' 62 1/2 offers a plus-400 return.

Another prop that offers value is who will score the first touchdown of the game. Pittsburgh RB Jerome Bettis and Seattle RB Shaun Alexander are the favorites with 5/1 odds, followed up by Hines Ward (6/1). A few attractive options for the Seahawks include Darrell Jackson (10/1), Joe Jurevicius (15/1) and Mack Strong (25/1).

For the Steelers, RB Willie Parker and TE Heath Miller have 10/1 odds, while Antwan Randle El is marked at 12/1.