Vegas always comes out on top come Super Bowl Sunday. Why is that? Is the betting public annually as wrong as this guy? Yeah, the public isn’t always the brightest, but they do pick the Super Bowl right … occasionally. I mean it’s a 50-50 shot, am I right?
So why does Vegas still win even if the majority of bettors pick the game right? Two words: prop bets. Questions like who will win the coin toss, how many yards will Hakeem Nicks get and who will score the first touchdown intrigues many bettors and help make watching the biggest of all games even more interesting.
The problem: Vegas spends a lot more time studying and dissecting the information that goes into the prop lines than the casual bettor. They are like the blonde seductress – meant to intrigue you, seduce you and then leave you empty- handed. My advice to you is to stay away from these prop bets like they are a 9 a.m. Friday class.
Having said that, since when do college kids listen to advice to be safe and smart? So here are my favorite prop bets for Super Bowl XLVI:
1. What Color will the Gatorade (or liquid) be that is dumped on the Head Coach of the Winning Super Bowl Team?
Orange 5/2; Yellow; 5/2; Green 15/2; Red 13/2 Blue 10/1 Clear/Water 3/2
The favorite here, according to Vegas, is clear, and the biggest underdog is green. When was the last time you saw green Gatorade? Luckily for us, both of the teams’ colors are blue and red. Do you really think the teams think about matching the Gatorade color with their jersey color? Yes I do, and I hate red Gatorade, so my pick is blue. My write-in ballot would be purple because I’ve heard a lot of the players over that purple drank.
2. What will Kelly Clarkson wear to sing the National Anthem?
Super Bowl XLVI or official NFL shirt 3/1; Patriots jersey or shirt 7/1; Giants jersey or shirt 15/1; Colts jersey or shirt 5/1; Anything else 1/3
Isn’t this the question we are all asking ourselves? So let’s break this down. Ms. Clarkson was born and raised in Forth Worth, Texas as a Cowboys fan. Now, she did not go to college, but you know who else didn’t go to college: Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady. As a Cowboys fan, she would rather go back on American Idol and listen to Paula Abdul before she wears a Giants jersey. The favorite here is the official NFL shirt, but I think Clarkson may still want to prove she can look good and sport a non-NFL-related outfit. I pick: anything else. Suggestion for a related prop bet: what size shirt will she be wearing?
3.Who will the Super Bowl MVP thank first?
Teammates 5/4; Coach 12/1; Family 15/2; God 4/1; Owner 5/1; Does not thank anyone 5/2
Well, the key here is deciding who is going to win the Super Bowl, and then picking that teams’ quarterback. Now I know Tim Tebow has pulled off some miracles this year, but I don’t think the big man upstairs will have enough pull to get Tebow the MVP trophy – that rules out anyone thanking God first. Many see Tom Brady as arrogant, but I’m sure he’ll thank everybody to keep Gisele happy. I think his order will be teammates, owner, coach. Eli Manning is a big team-first guy, and I think it’s a lock if he wins he goes teammates, coach, fans. So, if either quarterback wins the MVP, the right bet here is teammates. If Gronk wins, all bets are off.
