It’s a sporting event so big that some observers have argued it should be a national holiday – the annual NFL clash between AFC and NFC championship teams – better known as the Super Bowl. The 48th edition of this tradition is being held at MetLife Stadium on February 2nd, 2014, a gutsy call given that the weather in the Northeast this time of year is less than favorable. In fact it’s somewhat surprising that there’s no prop bet on the Super Bowl being moved to Saturday, as UFC’s Senior Director of Public Relations Dave Sholler said UFC 169 will move to Sunday if needed if the NFL and FOX need to move the event. That doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of other fascinating prop bets on this weekend’s big game. It’s easy to just bet on the winner being either the Seattle Seahawks or the Denver Broncos, and the line on the game has flipped back and forth all week depending on which team was getting more action. Right now the Broncos are a -120 favorite and the Seahawks a +100 dog, though using either “dog” or “favorite” when the lines are that close is almost absurd. If you’re looking for big money bets where long odds will payout big, one place to start is the Super Bowl MVP. Obvious choices like Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson are +110 and +330 respectively, but go further down the list of eligible players and you’ll find Richard Sherman (don’t try him with a sorry receiver) at +3,300, and even Broncos kicker Matt Prater (who was sent home earlier this week due to illness) at +23,000. Then there are the less obvious prop bets, ones which don’t necessarily reflect the players or the outcome of the game, but focus on the entertainment spectacle that is the NFL’s biggest event of the year. You can in fact bet on whether or not Renee Fleming, the featured singer for the Star Spangled Banner, will forget any of the words in our national anthem. She’s -1,200 to nail it and +600 to miss at least one word, and that’s got to be tempting to a long time viewer of sports events. The pressure of the moment and the odd nature of antiquated phrases like “o’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming” has lead to many a flub by many singers throughout the years. You can even bet on whether or not Knowshon Moreno will tear up during her performance – he’s +240 to cry, -320 to bottle up his emotions and hold it in. Personally I think the most fun prop is for how many times Peyton Manning will shout “OMAHA” during the course of the game. He’s -155 to say it less than 27.5 times, and +115 to say it more than 27.5 times, so the odds are not long in either direction. Nevertheless if you want to do some research, go back and rewatch the previous Broncos playoff games, or do a quick search of sports blogs. Peyton said OMAHA at least 44 times against the Chargers, so if you bet on the over that might just be easy money. Whatever you do, whatever line you bet, please be sure to not bet more than you can afford and gamble responsibly. Enjoy the big game!
