While gambling on sports is not a wise way to grow your savings, sometimes it’s fun to just take a little risk.
Along with March Madness, the Super Bowl is the one event every year that encourages even the strictest penny-pinchers among us to loosen up a bit and put some cash on the line. Whether you play a friendly game of “Super Bowl Squares” with your co-workers or simply gamble with your pals over who buys lunch next, the single biggest event on the American sporting calendar is ripe for wagering.
Of course, if you’re one of the many people who watch the Super Bowl but know very little about football, bets like that aren’t quite as much fun. That’s where the weird, wonderful world of prop betting comes in.
While every online sportsbook across the web will let you bet on the game’s outcome and the point spread — which currently has the Kansas City Chiefs favored by three points over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — some will also let you put money on a variety of things related to the Super Bowl that have absolutely nothing to do with the actual game.
Here are some of the most unique prop bets currently available at Bet Online that could make Sunday a little more fun for you.
How Many Commercials Will Feature A Dog?
The commercials are one of the most beloved parts of Super Bowl Sunday and you can make a bunch of bets on the ads that will air. Bet Online is currently taking action on how many commercials that air during the game — from kickoff to final whistle — will have a dog in them. The over/under is set at 4.5, so you can either bet that there will be four or fewer ads with a pooch or five or more during the game.
Taking the under is by far the more lucrative option, as a $100 bet on under 4.5 ads would net you a $170 win, while a $100 bet on over 4.5 would net you just $40.
Which Anheuser-Busch Brand Will Be Advertised First?
While Anheuser-Busch made the stunning announcement that it will not debut a new Budweiser ad during the Super Bowl this year, the brewing giant is still airing ads for several of its other brands. You can place a wager on which one will be shown first in a commercial during the game, among Bud Light, Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade, Michelob Ultra or Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer.
Betting on Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer is the biggest long shot but would net you $200 on top of a $100 bet.
What Will Andy Reid’s Mask Look Like?
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has made headlines all year for some of his unique choices of facial coverings during the NFL season. Bet Online is allowing bettors to wager on what his mask will look like during the Super Bowl. You can put your money on a mask that’s branded with the Chiefs logo, one that features no logo or a Hawaiian-themed one, given the beloved coach’s penchant for Hawaiian shirts.
Taking the option with a Chiefs logo is the obvious favorite and will only net you $5 on a $100 bet but if you had the guts to bet $100 on the Hawaiian option, you’d clear $700 of pure profit.
Which Coach’s Nostrils Will Be Seen First?
The NFL’s coaches pretty much all battled mightily with their facial coverings at some point during this bizarre season. Some coaches were even fined big money by the league for their inability to keep their nose and mouth covered during games. One bet you can place for the Super Bowl is which head coach’s nostrils will be “clearly visible” first during live game footage.
Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians is the favorite, with a $100 bet netting you $50, while an underdog bet on Reid’s naked nose would mean $150 in profit.
How Many Times Will We See Gisele?
Tampa Bay’s trip to the Super Bowl means Tom Brady will yet again have a starring role in the NFL’s championship match. This means his wife of more than a decade, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, will also likely be in attendance. You can bet on how many times CBS will show her during the live broadcast of the game, with the over/under at 1.5 times.
A bet for under 1.5 times would obviously have you on pins and needles if they showed her once but would net you $170 on a $100 wager.
Will The National Anthem Be Flubbed?
There are many prop bets related to the musical performances surrounding the Super Bowl, including the halftime show by The Weeknd. But one of the more intriguing ones is whether or not singers Jazmine Sullivan and Eric Church will mess up while singing the national anthem before the game. For your bet on a mistake to win, they’d have to omit or forget at least one word from “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
A $100 bet that they sing it perfectly would only make you $2 but if you put that same wager on a mistake and they flubbed it, you’d clear $1,200 before the game even kicked off!
How Long Will Amanda Gorman’s Poem Last?
If you were one of the many people impressed by 22-year-old poet Amanda Gorman during the recent presidential inauguration, you’ll likely be thrilled to see her before the Super Bowl. Gorman will read an original poem on the field, dedicated to three heroic Americans who have been dubbed honorary co-captains of the game.
You can currently bet on whether or not the poem will last longer than 284.5 seconds, which is just under five minutes. The odds are currently even, with a $100 bet either way netting you $83.33.
When he's not writing or spending time with his son and wife, Clint is probably watching sports, an old movie or adding to his VHS collection. A lifelong Ohioan, he's based in Columbus, and has two big dogs and a cat that's as soft as cotton. More.
