Super Bowl LVI: Prop Bets
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Super Bowl 56 is upon us and fans all over are getting ready for the big game, and getting ready to make some bets. With the somewhat unexpected matchup of the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams, bettors are preparing for anything, but here’s some suggestions to get you ready for the Big Game.
National Anthem: Over 95 Seconds
Every football game begins with the National Anthem, and the Super Bowl’s National Anthem performance is one of the most talked-about renditions.
This year, the anthem will be performed by Grammy-nominated country singer Mickey Guyton. Guyton also sang the anthem at the National Memorial Day Concert last May and clocked in at 1:23. 83 seconds would be the fastest time at the big game in 30 years, and 95 seconds would be the fastest since 2012. Due to the low line and the grandeur of the occasion, the over is the safest bet here.
Coin Toss: Heads
The world watched as the Bengals lost the coin toss in overtime of the AFC Championship game, leading many to believe the Chiefs would win it before the Bengals' defense worked some magic. The Bengals chose heads, and similarly to that game, tails have won the most in past Super Bowls.
That being said, tails have only one 53%, so it's still tough to call. Heads won last year in Tampa Bay, as it did in three of the last four. They say tails never fails, but going with heads is the choice for this year.
Extra Credit: Whether it's heads or tails, an even better bet is for the winning team to defer. Since the NFL made it possible in 2008, 12 of 13 Super Bowl coin flip winners (92.3%) have decided to defer their choice to the second half. Currently, the coin-toss winning team electing to receive is at +375, while electing to defer is set at -500.
Evan McPherson: Over 1.5 Field Goals
Bengals rookie kicker Evan McPherson and his shotgun leg were one of the biggest stars of the playoffs, going 12-for-12 on field goals, including a couple of game winners. With his talent and the Rams' great defense, betting on McPherson to make more than two field goals might be the safest bet of the weekend.
Cooper Kupp: Over 106.5 Receiving Yards
Kupp led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns this season and had over 100 yards in 11 of the Rams games this season. You can expect the star wide receiver to be the main target in the biggest game of the year.
Jamarr Chase: Anytime Touchdown Scorer
One of the best rookie wide receivers the game has ever seen scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl? That’s a given. Chase is a favorite target of Burrow and has the third-most touchdowns in the league, at +100 this is one of the best bets out there.
Gatorade Color: Yellow
The color of the celebration Gatorade bath is chosen internally and meant to be randomized, allowing for many bets to be placed on what the color will be.
If one was leaning towards one of the teams’ colors, then orange and blue have each been used twice in the last six Super Bowls, including the last two respectively.
The last time the lemon-lime flavor was used was in 2017 when new Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson won with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the yellow will rain down again on either Sean McVay or Zac Taylor on Sunday.
Super Bowl MVP: Joe Burrow
Burrow is second in the MVP odds at +225 behind Matthew Stafford at +150. After coming off a gnarly knee injury and it only being his second season, Burrow has had to overcome challenges and doubt all season and done so in great fashion.
Always cool and collected, there hasn't been a challenge yet that Joe Brrr couldn’t handle. If the Bengals take home the Lombardi, it's a good chance their tiger king is the one who will host the MVP trophy.
Kelly Warner is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email kpw5312@psu.edu.
