The Super Bowl is just around the corner. It is time for some of us to put on our jersey, stuff our face with the best football food, scream at a television, and to make fun of our friends when their team does something dumb. For others it is time to put up with the football that interrupts our commercials an halftime show viewing. Either way, the Super Bowl has something for everyone.
One thing that comes with all sporting games is the world of gambling. It seems to be a 50-50 shot when trying to decide which team you will pick to win. This gets a bit more complicated when you factor in items like score differentials or point spreads. Still, betting on who will win the game is so old school. If you are in the betting mood there are far more interesting things to put money on then the winner. These are called prop bets and they cover pretty much anything you could imagine.
Every football game begins with a coin toss. This determines which team will get the ball first. Of course, you would think the odds with this one would be 50-50 but that is not completely true. The NFL always uses a special coin designed specifically for this honor. If one side of the coin is heavier than the other it obviously has a better chance of landing that side down. Even if it is a simple quarter the odds aren’t exactly even. If a quarter starts on one side it is actually a 51% chance that it will land on that side. That means if it’s heads up when the coin is flipped it has a better chance of landing on heads. Get your bets in now for this one. The coin toss is a popular prop bet with millions of dollars changing hands every year.
It has become a tradition that transcends sports; the Gatorade bath is common in football, soccer, baseball, and more. Even though it brings joy to see someone get showered in ice-cold liquid in the middle of winter, it can bring even more joy if it puts some extra cash in your wallet. With this prop bet people choose what color they believe the liquid will be. Odds are pretty high that the shower will be red, green, yellow, or even clear water instead of Gatorade. But if you put down some money on purple or blue and end up winning you could walk away with a good amount of cash.
The coin toss and Gatorade shower are not the only football staples. If you have ever been to an American sporting event or watched one on television you have probably heard the National Anthem. Sometimes the rendition is powerful, sometimes moving, sometimes cringe-worthy. With this prop bet you can bet on how long it will take Demi Lovato to sing the song. Many are already betting it will take over two minutes. This may sound like a long time until you realize Alicia Keys stretched it out to almost three minutes seven years ago. You can also bet on if she will forget a word. Yikes.
For the hardcore football fan halftime can be a time to relax a bit and gorge on wings and nachos. For those participating in prop bets; however, halftime can be a stressful endeavor. The Jennifer Lopez on field concert is a hub of betting options. People will have the ability to wager on how long JLo will sing in Spanish, how many songs will be played, how many times the camera will be on Alex Rodriguez, how many wardrobe changes there will be, what the first song will be, what the last song will be, what Shakira will perform, and many, MANY more.
At the end of the game, there will be an announcement of the most valuable player. It is a coveted title for the Super Bowl but who will win the honor? Well, you can place your bets right now as to who you think it will be. Odds are all over the place with this one and if the team your pick is on losses you can count your money as good as gone. If this is one you are thinking about putting some cash down on just remember; historically this award goes to the winning quarterback.
All the other wonderful things on which people can wager are called exotic props. These are all items that are fun to bet on but do not fall into any other categories. This category includes things such as the number of Trump tweets on February 2nd, if Trump will attend the game, the price of Bitcoin during the game, how many commercials will be shown, if Colin Kaepernick will make an appearance, if a player will propose to their girlfriend, and so much more.
If you are interested in following the odds of more than just the win/lose result of the game check out prop betting. There is a category and a bet for everyone regardless of how much they like football. This can also make the game fun no matter the outcome (even though it will be the Chiefs, right? I mean, come on.)
