How times have changed. Think back to 1986. Hulk Hogan was the WWF (now WWE) Heavyweight Champion. Run D.M.C. and Aerosmith released Walk this Way and “Howard the Duck” had bombed at the box office.
The Chicago Bears battled the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX and one of the most influential bets in history was booked: Would William “Refrigerator” Perry score a touchdown?
It opened at 20-1 and was hammered by the public because Mike Ditka had used “The Fridge” in goal-line situations throughout the year, scoring twice. The Fridge scored from the 1-yard line to put Chicago up 44-3 and made a lot of bettors happy.
5 Fun Super Bowl Prop Bets
The interest in Super Bowl betting has only grown from that point and every year, the books attempt to outdo themselves with new and exciting Super Bowl prop bets.
You’ll find a huge menu of game and player props at legal betting apps, but here are five fun ones I like.
5) Two-Point Conversion Prop
Each year more and more teams decide to keep their kicker on the sidelines after a touchdown and try to run a play instead to get that extra point. The two-point conversion is more exciting than an extra point, so I’m all for it.
4) Opening Kick-Off Touchback Prop
3) MVP Player Prop
Everyone knows that the quarterback position is the most likely MVP recipient every year, but let’s make a case for some potential Super Bowl 56 MVP candidates that are a little further down the board.
- Odell Beckham Jr. (20-1) – Beckham has revived his career since signing with Los Angeles after his release from the Browns halfway through the season and has a fair number. In his three playoff games this year, Beckham has 19 catches for 236 yards and one touchdown.
- Von Miller (50-1) – Another player who was a midseason addition by the Rams. Miller has already been named a Super Bowl MVP for his performance in Denver’s 24-10 win over the Panthers in Super Bowl 50. Miller has picked up his production of late, registering five sacks in his last six games, dating back to the regular season. If Miller can regain his 2015 form, and take advantage of a weak Bengals offensive line, then sitting on a 50-1 ticket isn’t a bad spot to be in.
- Evan McPherson (150-1) – Stay with me. We’ve seen a Super Bowl recently that was tied 3-3 heading into the fourth quarter. That Super Bowl also involved the Sean McVay lead Rams. Scoring was optional in Super Bowl 53 and if it weren’t for a fourth-quarter Sony Michel two-yard touchdown to put New England up. You can call this bet the “Let’s Get Weird” bet of Super Bowl 56.
2) Wide Receiver Props
With how much attention is on the top WRs of each team, these traditional receiving props become much more exciting. Here are the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Receiving Prop odds from FanDuel:
- Cooper Kupp receptions over 8.5 (+110) / under 8.5 (-145)
- Odell Beckham receptions over 5.5 (+115) / under 5.5 (-155)
- Ja’Marr Chase receptions over 5.5 (-160) / under 5.5 (+115)
- Tee Higgins receptions over 5.5 (-120) / under 5.5 (-120)
In 20 games this year, Kupp has gone over 8.5 receptions in 11 games. Beckham has been a key piece for the Rams in the playoffs, especially in his last two games, catching six and nine passes respectively.
Chase has had a tremendous rookie campaign, averaging just over five catches per game. Higgins has 13 catches in his last two games.
1) The Infamous Super Bowl Safety Prop
A safety happening in the Super Bowl is very rare, which means you can win a lot of money (if it does happen) because of how high the odds are. It’s probably the most popular low-risk, high-reward prop during the Super Bowl that could be a fun one to put a small wager on.
Feature image credit: Eric Gay – AP
