(NEXSTAR MEDIA) — *This analysis is for entertainment purposes only. Using this information to contravene any law or statute is prohibited.**Seriously, don’t take this seriously. Prop bets are fun but are a farce. This is a crapshoot and you have to be off your rocker to take this advice.
Whether you like football or not, the Super Bowl is a great time to get together with friends and eat a lot of delicious food. It’s practically a national holiday (in fact, I’m actively campaigning to make the Monday after the Super Bowl a true national holiday).
But if you’re not a fan of the Patriots or Eagles, or you think the Patriots will roll the Eagles to win yet another Super Bowl, there’s still a way to make the game more exciting: prop bets.
Every year, sportsbooks offer a range of prop, or side, bets tied to the Super Bowl. Bettors can gamble on everything from in-game stats to the halftime show to the number of times Donald Trump will tweet during the game.
The great thing about prop bets is you don’t have to be an experienced gambler to get in on the action. Even the greenest of football newbies can have fun with props. And let’s be honest, sports betting is a coin flip anyway (speaking of coin flips, you can place a bet on whether the pregame coin toss will land on heads or tails: 1/1 odds either way).
Before we dive into some of my favorite prop bets from Super Bowl LII, here are the early gambling lines for the game.
The opening line was New England -5.5, but early action on Philadelphia moved that to New England -5. New England is -190 on the money line (bet $190 to win $100) and the over/under is 48.5.
Betting the spread, money line or over/under is all well and good, but the problem is you don’t know if your bet pays out until the end of the game. With that in mind, here are my favorite prop bets to provide you entertainment all night long.
How long will Pink’s rendition of the national anthem take?
This is one of the more popular prop bets each year. According to my (highly scientific) research (on Reddit), the general consensus is to take the over on this bet. The over/under is set at exactly two minutes.
Take the over.
(For the record, country star Luke Bryan sang it in 2 minutes, 9 seconds last year.)
How many times will the word “Dilly” be said during the broadcast?
The Bud Light ad campaign is taking the world by storm. You can’t get on the internet these days without seeing a “dilly dilly” GIF or meme. The over/under for this bet is set at 12.5.
I’m taking the over.
How many commercials will Peyton Manning appear in during the game?
Retired NFL quarterback Peyton Manning is making quite a name (and a few dollars) appearing in commercials. Everything from Papa John’s ads to Nationwide Insurance commercials (sing it with me: “Pey-ton’s always on TV”), you can’t watch an NFL game without seeing Manning. The over/under for this bet is set at 2.5.
Will Al Michaels or Cris Collinsworth say “GOAT?”
Whether you’re a fan of the Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady or not (full disclosure: I’m a huge fan), it’s hard to dispute that the quarterback and his hoodie-loving coach Bill Belichick are the greatest of all time at their respective professions. But will the announcing duo say “GOAT” during the broadcast? Bet “Yes” and wager $100 to win $360, or bet “No” and wager $500 to win $100.
I’m betting they will let one “GOAT” slip during the broadcast.
Will there be a wardrobe malfunction during Justin Timberlake’s halftime show? (Must expose intimate part of body)
In case you don’t remember, the last time Mr. Timberlake appeared on Super Bowl halftime show, the year was 2004. At the end of said halftime show, JT and Janet Jackson had a “wardrobe malfunction,” exposing Jackson’s breast for the world to see. (Interesting trivia to impress your friends: New England was also in the Super Bowl year, downing Carolina for Brady’s second championship.)
Bet “Yes” and $100 wins you $1,500. Bet “No” and $4,000 nets you $100.
Timberlake knows better than the risk pissing off the FCC. No way this happens.
How will JT make his entrance to the halftime show?
If you remember last year’s halftime show, Lady Gaga appeared to dive off the top of NRG Stadium in Houston to the stage. So how will Timberlake make his grand entrance? MyTopSportsBooks.com has a few ideas:
Zipline: 2/1
Car: 5/1
Motorcycle: 7/1
Jet pack: 15/1
Dog Sled: 20/1
Parachute: 50/1
My bet is on the jet pack. If you’re lucky, the jet pack will cause a wardrobe malfunction, so consider parlaying this with the previous prop and win big.
And finally, my favorite prop bet from this year’s game:
What will the weather be like for the game?
Snow: 2/3
Sunny Skies: 4/1
Sleet: 9/1
Hail: 20/1
Rain: 100/1
Hurricane: 10,000/1
Locusts: 1,000,000/1
FIELD (anything other than the above): 20/1
Let’s be honest here. I’m putting $1 on “Locusts” so I have a chance to be a millionaire – right before the locusts eat my house.
Happy betting!