Estimates suggest that nearly 100 million dollars world-wide is wagered each year on the Super Bowl. Surprisingly at least half of the bets are on those fun and wacky props.
This is the one NFL game of the year in which oddsmakers make the line more for the public and less for the professional gamblers. The thinking is that public bettors, who are most likely to play a prop bet, wager on players to succeed, rather than fail.
Prop Me Up
The first of this year’s Super Bowl prop bets is up at Bovada where you can wager on the coin toss being heads (-105) or tails (-105). The majority of prop bets will be available closer to game day, but here are a few that commonly appear on the betting board:
Which team will win the opening kickoff?
Will either team score in the first 5.5 minutes of the game?
Will the longest touchdown of the game be over/under 49.5 yards?
Will the longest made field goal of the game be over or less than 44.5 yards?
Other Popular Prop Bets Include:
What will be the exact length of the National Anthem?
Will the singer forget a word while performing the National Anthem?
How many times will we hear Peyton Manning’s name?
Will the game MVP thank God, his teammates or the fans first?
Patriots on Track
Before the season began, Bovada had Green Bay and New England as its favorites to meet in Super Bowl 47. The Packers were the overall favorite at 6/1 while the Pats were 13/2. Among the four teams that reached the division finals, the 49ers were listed at 10/1, the Ravens at 18/1 and the Falcons were lined at 25/1. Heading into the AFC and NFC championship games, the odds of winning Super Bowl 47, opened like this:
Patriots 11/10
49ers 19/10
Falcons 6/1
Ravens 10/1
The books were staring at some pricey futures as Seattle (50/1), Minnesota (150/1) and Indianapolis (also 150/1) all made the postseason. However, the Vikings and Colts were eliminated in the Wild Card Weekend while the Seahawks were ousted in Divisional Round play.
The 2013 Super Bowl odds based on any team from the AFC facing any team from the NFC has the AFC favored by four-points with the total at 52.5.
Looking Ahead
I realize Super Bowl 47 has not even been played yet. However, that has not stopped at least one Vegas sportsbook from releasing odds for next year.
Seven of eight teams in last week’s Divisional Round head the 2014 Super Bowl odds with the Patriots (6/1) and 49ers (8/1) topping the list. Rounding out the top five were the Broncos (8/1), Packers (10/1) and Seahawks (10/1). The Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders are last on the 2014 futures list at 150/1.
This year’s Super Bowl is set for Sunday, February 3 at the Superdome in New Orleans. Kickoff is set for 6:18 PM ET.