Super Bowl 2018 props: How to play Pink's anthem, Belichick's shirt, OT and more
One of the most fun aspects of Super Bowl Sunday each year is all the crazy props that come out for the game. You can bet on what color the Gatorade splashed on the winning coach will be, or how long the national anthem singer will take, or the coin toss, or hundreds of other aspects of the game and the pageantry surrounding it.
But how do you know what to pick for a particular prop? Don't worry; we've got you covered.
Whether you are wagering on your own online or just putting together a prop party game for the Super Bowl, we've got all the best options covered below.
Unless otherwise specified, these props are from our friends at the Westgate Las Vegas Super Book, Bovada.lv or Sportsbook.ag, and are broken into anthem props, in-game props, entertainment props, team-by-team props and cross-sports props. These are not ALL of the props, but these are a big selection of them. We'll add to the list as they trickle out, but if you have a good prop to suggest or a question about one of the props, hit me up on Twitter @WillBrinson.
Check out SportsLine's look at the top 10 craziest prop bets for Super Bowl Sunday.
National anthem Prop Bets
How long will the national anthem by Pink last? (Starting from first note to "Brave" ends the first time)
Over 2 minutes (-150)
Under 2 minutes (+110)
The price is steep but you simply cannot take the under here. Four of the last five anthems have gone over two minutes and you very rarely see a performer just speed through the process of handling the anthem.
What color will Pink's hair be for the national anthem?
White/Blonde 5-4
Pink/Red 7-4
Blue/Purple 5-1
Brown/Black 5-1
Green 5-1
Will Pink forget or omit a word of the national anthem?
Yes +300
No - 500
Don't take the bait here -- no one's screwed this up since Christina Aguilera mauled the anthem back in 2011 for the Packers-Steelers matchup in Dallas.
Will Pink say "Eagles" before, during or after she sings the national anthem?
Yes +170
No -250
Fascinating prop here because Pink is a HUGE Eagles fan.
Ummm. I’m singing the national anthem and the EAGLES ARE PLAYING?!?!?! IS THIS FOR REAL?!?!?!THATS WHASSUP!!!!!!!! Shtjtkd widnamc ckamcnsnzncbx!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wooohooooooooooooioooooooooooooooooooooooooiiiiiiooooooooooo — P!nk (@Pink) January 22, 2018
That makes Yes look like some serious value here. However, Pink's father Jim Moore is a Vietnam Veteran. I would lean toward seeing her go conservative if those two things are battling for her heart as she preps to sing the anthem.
Will any scoring drive take less time than it takes Pink to sing the national anthem?
Yes +150
No -200
Love the "Yes" option here -- you're asking for a scoring drive that's faster than two minutes. The Patriots had one against Jacksonville and one against the Titans in this postseason. The Eagles had one against the Falcons and one against the Vikings. You have a pair of explosive, quick-strike offenses, two aggressive playcallers and two teams who will try and score before the half and are usually good about doing so.
Pregame/Entertainment Props
Who will be shown first during broadcast?
Robert Kraft -140
Jeffrey Lurie EVEN
What Color will Bill Belichick's shirt be at kickoff?
Blue 4/5
Grey 3/2
Red 15/2
White 15/2
It might be tempting to gamble on something else, but the smart money is to hammer blue here. 4/5 is only -125, and there is a VERY good chance Belichick wears blue onto the field again this year. He has worn blue during his last two Super Bowls and both of those were victories.
USATSI
USATSI
In-Game Props
You know the actual line already -- the Eagles opened as 5.5-point underdogs, but the line has moved down to Patriots -4.5 and could be headed even further south as the game gets closer. Let's look at some bets specific to the halves and the quarters.
First Half Line
Philadelphia Eagles +3
New England Patriots -3
First-half over/under: 24
First Quarter Line
Eagles +0.5 (-140)
Patriots -0.5 (+120)
Over 9.5 (-115)
Under 9.5 (-115)
I'm a huge fan of the under for the first quarter: the Patriots have never scored an offensive point in the first quarter of a Super Bowl. They have combined with their opponents for 15 total first-quarter points in seven Super Bowl attempts. It's weird and doesn't sound possible but it's true.
Moneyline
Philadelphia Eagles +160 (8/5)
New England Patriots -180 (5/8)
Total Team Points – Philadelphia Eagles
Over/Under 21
Total Team Points – Philadelphia Eagles – First Half
Over/Under 10½
Total Team Points – New England Patriots
Over/Under 27
Total Team Points – New England Patriots – First Half
Over/Under 13½
Margin of Victory
Eagles by 1-6 points 4/1
Eagles by 7-12 points 15/2
Eagles by 13-18 points 14/1
Eagles by 19-24 points 25/1
Eagles by 25-30 points 40/1
Eagles by 31-36 points 66/1
Eagles by 37-42 points 100/1
Eagles by 43+ points 100/1
Patriots by 1-6 points 3/1
Patriots by 7-12 points 4/1
Patriots by 13-18 points 6/1
Patriots by 19-24 points 9/1
Patriots by 25-30 points 16/1
Patriots by 31-36 points 25/1
Patriots by 37-42 points 40/1
Patriots by 43+ points 50/1
I don't actually think the Eagles will blow out the Patriots, but they have the ability to blow teams out and are the best "play from ahead" team in the NFL. I wouldn't hate gambling a little bit on a 25-30 point victory at 40-1. The Patriots winning from 1-6 points at 3-1 is not terrible odds either; they have filled every single Super Bowl they've played in with drama and never won by more than six points (last year in overtime).
Will there be a score in the final two minutes of the 1st Half?
Yes -300 (1/3)
No +240 (12/5)
It's expensive but if the Patriots are involved there is going to be a score after the two-minute warning. The Pats always score with under two minutes left. Buy it.
Will the game go to overtime?
Yes +600
No -900
Last year went to overtime, but the odds are very good it does not happen. Still, wagering $900 to win $100 and watching things snuggle up in the fourth quarter would be concerning.
Will there be a two-point conversion?
Yes +250
No -310
I like the yes here given how frequently this happens and given how aggressive the playcallers involved are.
Will there be a fourth-quarter lead change?
Yes +250
No -310
Just having a hard time imagining this game not being close in the fourth quarter and someone grabbing the lead from the other team. Give me the Yes all day.
Total number of players to have a passing attempt?
Over 2.5 +170
Under 2.5 -200
I'm a sucker for trick plays and maybe it's asking too much for one here, but I kind of feel like someone attempts a pass. Maybe Danny Amendola.
Will there be a safety in Super Bowl LII?
Yes +600
No - 900
There have been a lot of safeties in Patriots Super Bowls lately. Just saying.
First Score Props
The first scoring play of the game will be
Patriots Touchdown Pass 3/1
Patriots Field Goal 3/1
Eagles Field Goal 4/1
Eagles Touchdown Pass 4/1
Patriots Rushing Touchdown 11/2
Eagles Rushing Touchdown 6/1
Eagles Defensive or ST Touchdown 16/1
Patriots Defensive or ST Touchdown 16/1
Eagles Safety 22/1
Patriots Safety 22/1
How many yards will the first Touchdown of the game be?
No Touchdown in the game 75/1
0 Yard Touchdown 33/1
1-7 Yard Touchdown 8/5
8-15 Yard Touchdown 4/1
16-25 Yard Touchdown 9/2
26-39 Yard Touchdown 5/1
40-59 Yard Touchdown 7/1
60-79 Yard Touchdown 12/1
80-95 Yard Touchdown 16/1
96 or More Yard Touchdown 16/1
First Touchdown Scorer
Rob Gronkowski (NE) 15/2
Brandin Cooks (NE) 9/1
Danny Amendola (NE) 10/1
Zach Ertz (PHI) 10/1
Dion Lewis (NE) 10/1
Jay Ajayi (PHI) 12/1
Alshon Jeffrey (PHI) 12/1
LeGarrette Blount (PHI) 14/1
Rex Burkhead (NE) 14/1
Chris Hogan (NE) 14/1
James White (NE) 14/1
Nelson Agholor (PHI) 16/1
Corey Clement (PHI) 18/1
Torrey Smith (PHI) 18/1
Tom Brady (NE) 25/1
Nick Foles (PHI) 33/1
Any Other Touchdown Scorer 4/1
No Touchdown Scorer 75/1
The value for the field goals is better than the touchdowns on the first score, especially with these defenses. New England ranked eighth and Philadelphia ranked 11th in red-zone scoring defense this season. But these teams ranked No. 2 (Philly) and No. 3 (NE) in terms of red-zone scoring this year, so be cautious there. They are both extremely capable of turning red-zone opportunities into touchdowns.
Color of Liquid Dumped on Winning Coach - from BetOnline.ag
Blue +250
Red +330
Yellow +350
Orange +350
Clear/Water +500
Purple +1000
Notable: the Gatorade was ORANGE for the Patriots when they won two years ago. Last year there was NO Gatorade shower. How dare the Patriots do that? (It resulted in a push.)
What color will the Gatorade be? USATSI
Patriots Player Props
Tom Brady's first pass:
Completion -250
Incomplete/INT +200
Tom Brady total completions
Over 26.5 (-130)
Under 26.5 (Even)
Tom Brady passing attempts
Over 40 (-115)
Under 40 (-115)
Hammer the completions over, even at the expensive price. Here are Brady's Super Bowl passing attempts/completions in chronological order: 16/27, 32/48, 23/33, 29/48, 27/41, 37/50, 43/62. I'd probably hammer the over on passing attempts too. The Eagles were the third best team in rush defense DVOA in the NFL, so the Patriots are likely to pass and test their secondary with a dink-and-dunk passing game that mitigates Philly's pressure up front. The only reason to steer clear is if you think the Pats win in a blowout and run the ball a bunch in the second half.
Tom Brady passing yards
Over 294.5
Under 294.5
Again, here's Brady's passing yards totals in his Super Bowl history: 145, 354, 236, 266, 276, 328, 466. The noticeable thing here is he went under this number in his games against the Giants. If you were inclined to believe Philly might win, there's some value in taking the over on attempts/completions and the under in Brady passing yards.
Tom Brady total touchdown passes thrown
Over 2.5 (+150)
Under 2.5 (-185)
There are some different variations of this number you can take, but this one intrigues me the most: Brady has thrown 1, 3, 2, 1, 2, 4, 2 touchdown passes in his Super Bowls. So he's only gone over three twice in his career, which isn't good, but getting this number at 2.5 with 1.5 value is very nice.
Will Tom Brady throw an interception?
Yes (+105)
No (135)
Oddly enough, Brady has more Super Bowls with an interception (4) than Super Bowls without an interception (3).
Dion Lewis rushing yards
Over 53.5 (-115)
Under 53.5 (-115)
Rex Burkhead rushing yards
Over 14.5 (Even)
Under 14.5 (-130)
James White rushing yards
Over 10.5 (-115)
Under 10.5 (-115)
James White total receptions
Over 3.5 (+110)
Under 3.5 (-140)
Brandin Cooks total receptions
Over 4.5 (Even)
Under 4.5 (-130)
Brandin Cooks receiving yards
Over 68.5 (-115)
Under 68.5 (-115)
Danny Amendola total receptions
Over 4.5 (-145)
Under 4.5 (+115)
Danny Amendola receiving yards
Over 52.5 (-115)
Under 52.5 (-115)
Rob Gronkowski total receptions
Over 5.5 (+110)
Under 5.5 (-145)
Rob Gronkowski receiving yards
Over 74.5 (-115)
Under 74.5 (-115)
If I'm playing any of these reception totals, it's that Danny Amendola over. It's expensive at -145 but he has 18 catches this postseason and had eight catches against the Falcons last year. He's a playoff beast and Brady likes to feed him. The Gronk over is way too low: he only has two playoff games with less than six catches since 2014 (against the Jaguars, when he was concussed and a 45-7 win over the Colts in 2015).
Eagles Players Props
Nick Foles total completions
Over 22.5 (-115)
Under 22.5 (-115)
Nick Foles total pass attempts
Over 35 (-115)
Over 35 (-115)
Nick Foles total pass yards
Over 250.5 (-115)
Under 250.5 (-115)
Jay Ajayi total rushing yards
Over 63.5 (-120)
Under 63.5 (-110)
Jay Ajayi total rushing attempts
Over 14.5 (-130)
Under 14.5 (Even)
Jay Ajayi total receptions
Over 1.5 (-210)
Under 1.5 (+170)
Jay Ajayi total receiving yards
Over 19.5 (-115)
Under 19.5 (-115)
LeGarrette Blount total rushing yards
Over 28.5 (-115)
Under 28.5 (-115)
LeGarrette Blount total rush attempts
Over 7.5 (-130)
Under 7.5 (Even)
Corey Clement total receiving yards
Over 13.5 (-115)
Under 13.5 (-115)
Alshon Jeffery total receptions
Over 3.5 (-165)
Under 3.5 (+130)
Alshon Jeffery total receiving yards
Over 58.5 (-115)
Under 58.5 (-115)
Nelson Agholar total receptions
Over 3.5 (-130)
Under 3.5 (Even)
Nelson Agholar total receiving yards
Over 43.5 (-115)
Under 43.5 (-115)
Torrey Smith total receptions
Over 2.5 (-150)
Under 2.5 (+120)
Torrey Smith total receiving yards
Over 33.5 (-115)
Under 33.5 (-115)
Zach Ertz total receptions
Over 5 (-120)
Under 5 (-110)
Zach Ertz total receiving yards
Over 60.5 (-115)
Under 60.5 (-115)
There are more defensive and special teams props you can play (just like with the Pats) but these are the primary ones. I don't think I love many of them. I would dabble in Clement's over in terms of yards. You just need one long reception -- and he's got five games over that number this season. The Jay Ajayi over on carries might be a no-brainer, especially if you believe he's going to get plenty of carries -- he had 13 and 15 in the postseason so far and had 15, 12 and 14 in his final three regular season games. He's much more comfortable now and the Eagles would love to establish the run.
Cross-Sport Props
"Top Dog" Mike Tierney has a big list of these at SportsLine you should check out. Here's a few of my favorite:
What will be higher?
Temperature at Kickoff in Minnesota -150
Total Points scored in the 1st Quarter +110
It's supposed to be a high of EIGHT degrees on Super Bowl Sunday, so it stands to reason the temperature at kickoff is going to be LOW. That being said, I like the under of 9.5 in the first quarter of this game, so I don't love the bet. If you're going to take the over for that first quarter, just hit this prop instead.
What will be greater?
Philadelphia Eagles Touchdowns in Super Bowl 52
Joel Embiid blocks on 2/3/18
Give me the Eagles touchdowns just because there's a chance Embiid doesn't play.
What will be greater?
Tom Brady Number of Completions -140
DeMar DeRozan Total Points vs Memphis Grizzlies EVEN
Look, if you're betting on Brady versus DeMar DeRozan you have a problem. But you should probably take the EVEN bet here if you do and hope DeRozan goes off again (he's been quiet the last week, going under 20 points the last three games).