Oddly enough, it’s times like this I’m almost glad that my financial situation is downright dire. Heaven forbid I’d have enough loose change to actually be tempted to place a wager on the myriad of options available during Super Bowl week.
Obivously, I’m not getting anywhere near New Orleans, Las Vegas or even Ilani to lay down a shekel on the outcomes of what are increasingly becoming a dizzying array of prop bets, ranging from those where a little football knowledge can help and those where a coin flip might offer a better chance to win.
As COVERS’ Ryan Murphy (no, not that one) offered in his piece from earlier today:
Super Bowl prop betting has exploded in popularity in recent years, as fans crave more ways to engage with the game beyond the point spread and moneyline.
Sportsbooks have responded to the increased demand and have rolled out thousands of Super Bowl props this year ranging from typical fare like touchdowns and receptions to whether or not Travis Kelce will propose to Taylor Swift on the field.
And Murphy offered up a couple such picks and rationales in case you were tempted:
Anytime touchdown scorer bet
When the Chiefs get into the red zone they turn to Kareem Hunt, which is why Covers Senior Betting Analyst Jason Logan is also turning to the former Pro Bowl running back for his Super Bowl anytime touchdown prop prediction.
Super Bowl MVP bet
Patrick Mahomes has the shortest Super Bowl MVP odds at +105, but Covers Betting Analyst Josh Inglis is expecting Jalen Hurts to steal the show on Sunday.
“Hurts was about as close as one can be to an MVP in Super Bowl LVII: He ran for three TDs, thew another, and had 300+ passing yards,” he says. “He enters Round 2 vs. the Chiefs at his healthiest since early December and now has a defense that can stop Mahomes & Co. The +370 price is too hard to ignore.”
CBS SPORTS’ Will Brinson chimed in this morning with a few slightly riskier offers with similar insights:
Xavier Worthy 50+ first-quarter receiving yards (+950)
The speedy rookie has taken on the role of WR1 for the Chiefs over the back half of the season, thanks to his development, Rashee Rice’s injury and Hollywood Brown slowly working his way back from injury. In the Chiefs last five games where they played starters (Week 18 excluded), Xavier Worthy has 32 catches on 44 targets. He’s a more complete receiver than some thought coming into the draft, but he also possesses some of the most blazing speed in the league right now, a combo that makes him ripe for a big blowup early in this game. I’d be pretty surprised if Andy Reid didn’t have some kind of trick or shot play designed for Worthy early, and while 50 receiving yards is a LOT to ask for in the first quarter, we’re probably banking on him getting there via a single play down the field or a quick-hitting, screen-style play that he takes for a massive gain.
Hurts converts first first down of the game (+1400)
This is a crazy number for Hurts?! The Eagles are — likely — going to come out and try to run the ball. But those runs might be read options! It’s not outrageous at all to suggest Philly decides to mix things up and fake a run to Saquon Barkley, only to have Hurts keep the ball, find a seam in the Chiefs defense and rumble for a first down on the Eagles first possession of the game. Additionally, we can get this if Hurts drops backs to pass early and is pressured, decides to take off running and picks up a first down. Oh yeah and there’s the extremely realistic scenario of a third-and-1 or fourth-and-1 early after a decent kickoff return followed by a “Tush Push” for a first down. I really like this look.
And then there are some truly bizarre ones that these gents threw in for sh-ts and giggles:
Gatorade color bet
There are few Super Bowl traditions more beloved than the Gatorade bath, which has been capping off every instalment of the Big Game since 1986.
The Chiefs have doused Andy Reid with purple Gatorade in each of their past two wins, but Covers Betting Analyst Rohit Ponnaiya favors another approach in his Super Bowl Gatorade color prediction this year.
“Early money has come in on purple and yellow/green/lime, separating those two colors from the rest of the pack while red/pink has tumbled all the way to +650,” he says. “Whether you bet on purple or yellow/green/lime will really come down to which team you think will win. But with both options available at better than +200, it makes sense to put half a unit on each side and hope that neither team decides to switch things up.”
Chiefs ML + Sam Burns WMPO win w/o Scottie Scheffler (+3680)
You wanna get nuts? Let’s get NUTS. The beauty of legalized gambling is you can parlay all kinds of stuff these days. And with one of CBS Sports signature events — the Waste Management Phoenix Open — taking place in Arizona this week and ending on Sunday, you can set yourself up for a big old combo on Sunday if you play your cards right. Specifically, let’s take the Chiefs on the moneyline (I believe they’ll win, if you like Philly to win, you can crank up the value, so by all means, fire away) and parlay them with Sam Burns to win the Waste … without Scottie Scheffler. In other words, Scottie can win the tournament by 10 strokes, but Burns would still “win” here as long as he finishes second. Burns is one of the top-five favorites in the outright market (25-1) but we’re getting enough value even with removing Scottie from the equation that I’m comfortable firing on this versus him actually outright with the Chiefs (+4500), just in case Scheffler decides to go nuclear. Burns checks the boxes with course history, recent form (would like his approach play to be better but he can get by in Phoenix with great off-the-tee play) and pedigree.
And yep, there’s even one that USA TODAY’s Lori Comstock concedes is one you won’t be able to wager on in a tradtional venue or online:
There is no better time than the Super Bowl to draw seasoned or amateur sports bettors to the table, with high rollers looking to capitalize on the growing impact Taylor Swift has had on reshaping the sports world. But what about the chances Swift will wear a Philadelphia Eagles shirt (the singer did grow up in the Keystone State), or perhaps her beau, Kansas City Chiefs‘ tight end Travis Kelce will propose?
Well, there’s a (novelty prop) bet for that. A novelty prop in the betting world is essentially a casual way of betting where sportsbooks aren’t involved. In fact, placing a real-money bet on a Taylor Swift prop is not permitted in most sportsbooks operating in the United States.
Just for fun, let’s look at a few ideas from what has been floating around the internet, including the biggest one of all:
Will Travis Kelce propose to Taylor Swift?
Yes: +800
No: -2000
Will Taylor Swift wear a Travis Kelce jersey during the game?
No: -400
Yes: +250
I’m mildly curious about those myself. But only if the currency is Monopoly dollars am I in. Otherwise, good luck on you.
Courage…