One of the most fun and bizarre parts of Super Bowl Sunday comes in the form of the various prop bets that the sportsbooks offer.
This year, there are over 1,000 prop bets to place wagers on, and they run the gamut. From the traditional bets of which color the Gatorade poured on the winning coach will be to how many times “wardrobe malfunction” will be mentioned during the broadcast, there is no shortage of outlandish Super Bowl wagers to be made.
While there is almost no way to handicap how many times we’ll see people wearing dog masks or how much Donald Trump will tweet during the game, here are some of the props related to the on-field product that we can make some educated prop bet predictions on. We analyzed the props available with one of the biggest and best offshore bookies, Bovada Sportsbook, for the benefit of this preview.
Will LeGarrette Blount Go Over/Under 27.5 Rushing Yards?
LeGarrette Blount is the secondary back in a Philadelphia Eagles rushing offense which is very much run-by-committee. The former New England Patriot, Blount will be looking to have a strong game against his old team and all it would take is one great run to hit that number. On its face, 27.5 yards for Blount should be an easy pick for the over, however, Blount hasn’t had more than 30 yards in six of the last seven games. Blount has averaged just 20 yards per game in the postseason on a pretty low, 15 rushing attempts. That being said, the under @ -105 with Bovada looks pretty strong here.
Who Wins Coin Toss & Will That Team Win Super Bowl?
This is lumping two props into one but one of the most tried-and-true Super Bowl props is betting on the outcome of the coin-toss. With one side heads and one side tails, it would seem the coin toss would be 50/50 and as it turns out, the stats have pretty much gone that way. Over the first 51 Super Bowls, tails edges out heads by just 27-24. Tails has won four in a row however so an argument could be made this year, the streak will end. That being said, you’re betting on the arbitrary flip of a coin. It’s really hard to guess which way things will go.
As for the second part of this wager, you can bet on if the winner of the coin toss will also go on to win the Super Bowl. Over the last three Super Bowls, that answer is no, as the team to lose the toss has gone on to win the big game three years in a row. You can take odds on which team will win the coin toss and if they will win the Super Bowl among the many betting options available this Sunday.
Will Tom Brady Complete Over/Under 27 Passes?
This seems like a pretty safe over. Brady has only completed over 27 passes six times this season, but one of them is in the first round of the playoffs. In Brady’s other postseason game, he hit just shy of this number, with 26 completed passes on 38 attempts. Against the Eagles, Brady and the Patriots offense will definitely need to throw the ball and throw the ball often. Philadelphia’s best asset is their lockdown pass rush, which has been great all season but nearly unstoppable in the playoffs. If the Eagles can shut down the rushing game as they have over these past two games, New England will turn to the pass, meaning more passes and likely more completions. Take the over 26.5 with Intertops @ -130 as it is over 27 @ -135 with Bovada.
Will National Anthem Go Over Two Minutes?
Another classic Super Bowl prop bet is deciding on if the National Anthem will go over or under the projected total. This year, that total is two minutes. The singer of the anthem plays into this as some are prone to flourishes and creative liberties which often take the total time over the mark. This is exactly what happened last year as one drawn out note led to the payout on the over. This was the third anthem in a row to go over. Pink will be singing the anthem and she is known for her artistry. The safe money is on the over, which is -200 with Bovada. What is a little more unpredictable however is if the Pennsylvania native and Eagles fan, will wear team gear during her performance. Surprise, surprise, you can wager on that too.
Receptions: Will Nelson Agholor Catch Over/Under 3.5 Passes?
New England’s formula for success is the same as many other teams. The Patriots will try to take away Philadelphia’s best weapon which in this case is No.1 receiver, Alshon Jeffrey. Jeffrey caught 57 passes for 789 yards and nine touchdowns. He gave the Eagles what they had been looking for, a real top threat at the position. With New England’s top corners handling Jeffrey, that means Nelson Agholor could look to have a big game.
Agholor struggled last year and had his ticket out of the city basically written out for him. But in 2017-18, the young receiver and former first round pick, began to turn things around. Agholor had a career year, catching 62 passes for 768 yards and eight touchdowns. With Stephon Gilmore and possibly Duron Harmon double teaming Jeffrey, Agholor could look to have a big game for the Eagles and Nick Foles. You can get over 4 on his total receptions @ -105 with Bovada, though this super bowl prop bet predictions preview recommends the wiser option may prove to be over +3.5 @ -116 with Intertops.
Who will Score the First Touchdown for New England Patriots?
Currently, Rob Gronkowski (+400) is the favorite to be the first Patriots player to get on the scoreboard with the best American online sports betting sites, along with by Dion Lewis (also +400). Both guys are solid choices as Gronkowski is Tom Brady’s go-to weapon both in short and long yardage situations and Lewis is the running back, meaning in a goal-line situation, he’ll definitely get at least one opportunity.
Others receiving top odds are wide receivers, Chris Hogan (+900) and Danny Amendola (+700). While you could argue either of those two offer more bang for your buck value wise, sometimes the safe choice is the right choice. Go with Gronkowski to kick start things for Brady and the offense @ +400 with Bovada.
Our Preview’s Prop Bets Predictions & Picks Conclusion
We have barely scratched the surface of the available prop bets on the 2018 Super Bowl. In fact Bovada Sportsbook has over 100 different betting options and markets on the biggest sporting event of the year. Take a look and enjoy!
Marilee writes on NFL, MLB, NBA & tennis for USA Betting. Another area of her sporting journalistic expertise is pro wrestling. A native of Philadelphia and a big Eagles fan, she has been a sports writer for many major websites including Bleacher Report and Rant Sports. She started her journalistic career early, as sports editor for her college newspaper.