By Matt T
Super Bowl 55 is here, and with that we have a tremendous matchup to watch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In this article, I’m going to focus on some of the most popular obscure prop bets that are offered by mostly all sports books both offshore and domestically. Super Bowl prop bets have become increasingly popular each year and 2020 is no different. I’ll provide my input below on which obscure props to avoid and which ones have real value, in addition to some notable game props:
National Anthem:
There’s nothing like pulling out your phone and timing the length of Gladys Knight’s rendition of the National Anthem to see if you cashed your first bet before the game even starts. This example takes us back to the 2019 Super Bowl when information leaked on Twitter that the National Anthem would be 1 minute and 59 seconds. The over/under was set at 1 minute and 50 seconds. It’s imperative to act quickly when this sort of information becomes available, as the line will quickly drop once it drops. Bookmakers are aware that bets like the anthem can and will be leaked, so there are subsequent limits put in place to protect them. This doesn’t mean, however, that sports bettors can’t come away with a nice pay day here.
This year’s anthem is a bit different, as it is a collaboration between the R&B/Hip-Hop artist Jazmine Sullivan and country great Eric Church, and we therefore get two national anthem singers instead of the usual solo act. This wager is worth waiting on to see if any rehearsal information is leaked yet again.
Here are the consensus lines on offshore sports books below:
- Over 2:00 (+110)
- Under 2:00 (-150)
Coin Toss:
This is a prime example of a Super Bowl prop to stay away from. You’re better off betting with the person you’re watching with at even money. The books will usually set the heads/tails outcome anywhere from -103 (DraftKings) to -120 on the other side. If I was forced to pick heads or tails, I’d always bet tails. One theory that I heard from the Pregame.com's Steve Fezzik is that the heads side of the commemorative coin is heavier, thus making it more likely to land on the tails side. Tails has been the right side 53% of the time, so history indicates a small edge to tails although it's not worth paying the extra vig to the bookies.
Gatorade Bath Color:
Guessing the right color of the Gatorade bath shower has been another staple amongst the obscure Super Bowl props. Information leaking on Twitter can again be helpful here, although it’s not always accurate. In Super Bowl 54, purple was steamed by bettors across the board from as high as +1200 and all the way down to +110 even though it didn't cash in the end. Usually when an obscure prop like this is heavily steamed, someone on the inside knows. The theory last year was that the winning team would honor the tragic death of Kobe Bryant and dump purple Gatorade on the winning head coach. The bettors walked away disappointed when Andy Reid was dumped with orange Gatorade. Clear is the most popular color used (8) historically, however, followed by orange (6), yellow (3) and several others colors with 2. One interesting note is that red has never been used. Usually there isn’t much information leaked on the Gatorade color, so this is one of those fun pizza bet props. Don’t risk your bankroll on this though, even if the red might seem tempting given that it's the primary color for both Kansas City and Tampa Bay.
Total Number of Penalties:
One prop that I’ve bet already is under 11.5 (-135) penalties in this game. Kansas City averaged 6.4 penalties per game during the regular season while Tampa Bay averaged 5.1 penalties per game. Over the last three games, however, Kansas City has only averaged five penalties per game and Tampa Bay has averaged four per game. Additionally, through 12 games this postseason, there has been just a little over eight penalties per game called on average, the lowest mark since 2000. The referees want to call a fair game and do not want to be the stars of the Super Bowl by calling "borderline" questionable penalties.
1st Quarter Under 10.5 points (-136 at FanDuel)
Teams usually start out conservative in the Super Bowl and want to limit mistakes early on. On the other hand, this will also be Tom Brady’s 10th Super Bowl appearance, and in his first nine career "big game" appearances with the New England Patriots, his team managed to score only three points total in the first quarter combined. Was it New England’s game plan and offensive scheme behind Bill Belichick, or was it Tom Brady's tendencies? I’m willing to pay to find out if the trend continues here with the under 10.5.
Other Notably Obscure Props:
What song will be played first by the Weeknd during the Halftime Show?
"Starboy" is the favorite at +350
Will Drake appear with the Weeknd during the Halftime Show?
Yes +500
No -900
Will the Weeknd mention Donald Trump?
Yes +750
No -2500
Fat Man TD: Will any Offensive or Defensive Lineman Score a TD?
Yes + 800
No -2000
What will be said first on the broadcast?
Tom Brady’s 10th Super Bowl -140
Tom Brady’s Age 43 +100
First Anheuser-Busch brand commercial to run:
Bud Light +100
Michelob Ultra +125
Bud Light Seltzer Lemonated +425
Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer +500
Most of the props listed above are found on offshore books, and even more obscure props like this will become available in the coming days. While these can be fun to bet and keep track of throughout the game, just make sure to not risk your entire bankroll because it’s the Super Bowl. And best of luck!