With hundreds of different options to choose from between player and team props for the 2015 Super Bowl, the key to winning big bets is finding ones that you have the best chance to cash with the most value.
Of course this is much easier said than done, but there are so many choices out there that bettors should be able to find something to their liking when wagering on the big game. For example, betting on the player to score the first touchdown is one of the most popular Super Bowl props available, but did you know you can also bet on the player to score the first touchdown for each team? You can also wager on whether you think a player will score multiple TDs in the game.
In Super Bowl XLIX, the two favorites to score the first TD of the game are Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch and New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. This should not be a surprise considering Lynch (17 total touchdowns including 13 rushing and four receiving) and Gronkowski (12) led their offenses in that particular category during the regular season.
New England kicker Stephen Gostkowski led the NFL in scoring overall with 156 points while Lynch ranked 25th with 102 points as the top skill-position player. In the playoffs so far, eight of the top 13 scorers overall are skill-position players, proving the importance of TDs over FGs in the postseason compared to the regular season. Just ask the Green Bay Packers, who would have won the NFC Championship Game if only one of their five FGs was a TD.
Lynch is the 11/2 favorite to score the first TD in the Super Bowl followed by Gronkowski at 13/2. But keep in mind, the first TD covers every 6-point score, including those by the defense or special teams. For this reason, along with the fact that this prop is over when the first player for either team reaches the end zone, it may be better to wager on the first Seahawk or Patriot to score a TD despite getting lower odds. Lynch is 5/2 to score the first Seattle TD and Gronkowski 13/4 to score the first TD for the Patriots, and they are also the favorites to score multiple times in the Super Bowl.
Bettors can get 3/1 on Lynch and 9/2 on Gronkowski scoring two or more TDs or press their luck and get 14/1 and 20/1, respectively, on them scoring three times or more. To put this prop in perspective, Lynch scored two TDs or more five times in 16 regular-season games, totaling more than two just once when he had four TDs against the New York Giants. However, Gronkowski scored more than one TD only once in 15 games, with three coming against the Chicago Bears. These props are obviously more of a gamble but could pay off large if you think it will be high-scoring game. Though unlikely, it is possible, as New England RB LeGarrette Blount scored three TDs in the AFC Championship Game, and he is 30/1 to repeat that feat in the Super Bowl.
For bettors looking for another potentially valuable prop, wagering on the first score to be a FG or safety (+135) rather than a TD (-165) is a possibility. Again, you can also bet on these props for each team’s first score and even get better odds if you specifically choose the very first score of the game to be a Patriots FG (+400) or Seahawks FG (+350). If you are really looking to hit the jackpot, the biggest payoff yet most unlikely scenario for first score of the game is a New England or Seattle safety at 50/1.