Super Bowl XLVI Proposition Bets and Picks to Win
by Badger, NFL Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
One of the things that makes the Super Bowl the spectacle that it has become is the fact that you can bet on everything from the national anthem and the coin flip right down to who will be crowned the MVP. These wagers are called proposition bets.
At some sportsbooks, like Bovada (formally BoDog), they turn the Super Bowl into a football bettors last chance at Christmas, putting odds on all sorts of player, team, game, and miscellaneous props just to try and pry that last little bit of bankroll out of you until the NFL starts up again in August.
Now, I’m not a huge fan of throwing away big money on wild prop bets, but if you're selective, a Super Bowl XLVI prop bet or two can be a winning proposition. And for those of you who are in it just for the entertainment factor and you don’t mind taking some risks, there are some prop bets at Bovada that just might make your Super Bowl Sunday a little more enjoyable.
Prop bets are usually broken down into three categories: player props, team props and game props. There are also “cross sport” props that bring in things like golf scores and NBA games into the mix, which is just making it more and more of a sucker bet, so we’ll stay away from those so that we don’t dilute our FOOTBALL bets with other riff-raff.
Here are some of the better prop bets I’ve found at Bovada.lv so far (these props get added all the way up until kickoff, so keep checking back if you so chose).
PLAYER PROPS
Of course the biggest category at Bovada is player props. In fact, it wasn’t until Bovada came onto the scene a few years ago that all of the cross-sport and wild “pregame” and “halftime” props started showing up on the board at sportsbooks. Here are a few I like.
SUPER BOWL XLVI MVP
In 24 of the 45 Super Bowls a quarterback has been named the MVP, including four of the last five games. With that in mind, the risk-reward is low on both Tom Brady (13/10) and Eli Manning (9/4). It’s so low that it wouldn’t pay to even play a short-middle-long position to diversify your risk, since if one of these guys wins it you wouldn’t get your three units back anyway.
So I’m going to take just my longshot bet at MVP here, going with Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw. My feeling is that for a tight end or a wide receiver to win it the QB has to throw them a few touchdowns, and if that is the case than the QB would probably trump the TE/WR in that case anyway. But a running back can win it without a good QB performance. At 22-to-1 (22/1), I’m going to put a unit on Bradshaw in hopes that he gouges the Patriots defense with a few big touchdown runs to steal the spotlight away from Brady and Manning.
NATIONAL ANTHEM
After last year’s butchering of the anthem by Christina Aguilera (she forgot words), I’m guessing there won’t be as much “artistic freedom” displayed by this year’s singer, Kelly Clarkson. Clarkson isn’t the windbag that Aguilera is (Aguilera went 1:54), but I say she’ll still go over. At -120 the odds aren’t great, but I’m in for a unit.
HOW MANY TIMES WILL PATRIOTS OWNER ROBERT KRAFT BE SHOWN ON TV DURING THE GAME? – O/U 3.5
This one is a little risky, especially if the Patriots are going to win and Kraft is on the sideline handing and hugs (and kisses like to Drew Bledsoe) in the closing seconds. But the fine print on the wager says from kick off until final whistle, and I’m hoping that the production crew at NBC will wait until the trophy presentation to feature Kraft more than three times.
If the Giants win, this becomes a great bet. I’m taking the under of 3.5 at even (+100) money.
TOTAL RECEPTIONS – BRANDON JACOBS (NYG) – O/U 1
With an over/under of one reception I’m hesitant, but the +105 on the under suckered me in. Jacobs caught only 14 passes all season long, so I think the under is a solid wager.
TEAM PROPS
The team props section is packed with bets, but most of them have really bad odds. There are a few I will take a flyer on though.
WILL EITHER TEAM SCORE 3 UNANSWERED TIMES IN THE GAME? – NO (+155)
For this to happen it would turn into a blowout. I don’t expect a blowout at all, yet alone three scores unanswered. I’m surprised by these odds (+155), so you may want to get on this one quickly before it’s changed or removed.
THE FIRST TURNOVER OF THE GAME WILL BE? – NO TURNOVERS +700
I know it’s really rare for a football game to go without one mistake, but at 7-to-1 I’m a sucker for the risk. I’ll play a unit and cross my fingers that nobody makes a mistake, or that both defenses are on their heels all game long.
If Super Bowl props aren't your thing, you can always of course bet on the side or total (or moneyline). Click here to place a bet now at one of the web's best sportsbooks: Bovada.
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