Betting on the Big Game

The Super Bowl is more than just a football game. Yes, It’s the highlight and culmination of a whole season of football games. But it’s also much more. It’s an excuse to pig out on chips and dips, beer and buffalo wings, to party with family and friends. It’s a chance for a first look at the new expensive commercials being rolled out, an opportunity to watch a spectacular half-time show and maybe even an unintended wardrobe malfunction. And it’s a chance to make a quick buck wagering on everything from who will win the game to what color shoes Beyonce will wear for the halftime show. Add it up and Americans will spend at least $4.2 billion betting on the Super Bowl this year, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA). More than half of adult Americans will have some money at risk on Sunday’s game.

AGA estimates conservatively that the Super Bowl bets legally placed at Nevada’s casinos amount to a mere 2.8% of the total wagered nationwide. Gamblers placed $116 million in bets on last year’s Super Bowl through the casino sports books. New England defeated Seattle 28 - 24 in that game, and untold millions of dollars changed hands when, just as Seattle was about to score, New England’s Malcolm Butler intercepted a pass to preserve the Patriot’s victory — without even having to deflate the football. LOL  More was bet illegally at bars and backyard parties, so who’s to say what the real amount that changed hands that day was.

How much money does the casino make of that $116 million bet? Not as much as you would think. Sports’ winning percentage was 5.8% last year. Compare that with 18% for roulette and 12% for blackjack. Even slot machines with a purported average winning percentage (according to the LA Times - not according to my experience gambling) of 6.4% have a better payout than sports.

Betting on the big game is fun. Right now the Carolina Panthers are favored to defeat the Denver Broncos by 6 points. That may change before the game at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara this coming Sunday. But there’s more to bet on than the results of the game. You can bet on the opening coin toss, whether either team will score 3 straight times, or in the first 6 1/2 minutes, or the final two minutes of the first half. Who will have the first completion or interception or penalty or touchdown. Whatever can happen in the game is probably a choice you can make wagering on the game.

Even more fun, I think, are the proposition or “prop” bets being offered, courtesy of Bovada and sites on the internet. Here are a few of the more unusual choices you can make and current odds.

 1: Will there be an earthquake during the game?   Yes (10/1)

 2: Will Peyton Manning announce his retirement in the post game interview?  Yes  (5/1)  No  (1/10)

 3: Will Peyton be seen crying at any point during the broadcast? Yes (6/1)  No  (1/12)

 4: How many times will Archie Manning be shown on TV?  Over 1.5 (even) Under (5/7)

 5:How many times will Cam Newton do the “open shirt superman” motion? Over 2.5 (even) Under (5/7)

 6: Will the first Panther to score give his football to a boy (1/2) or a girl (3/2)?

 7: Will Cam Newton break the Super Bowl record for rushing yards by a quarterback? Yes (+275), no (-450)

 8: Who will be the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player (MVP)? Cam Newton (5/7), Peyton Manning (7/2)

 9: Who will the Super Bowl MVP mention first? God (2/1), team (2/1), city/fans (6/1), coach (15/2), family (15/1), none of the above (9/4)

10: Which song will Coldplay play first during the half time show? Adventure of a Lifetime (2/1), Fix You (7/2), A Sky Full of Stars (9/2), Viva la Vida (5/1), Clocks (15/2), Speed of Sound (9/1) Head Full of Dreams (10/1) or Paradise (10/1)

11: What color shoes will Beyonce wear when she comes on stage for the halftime show? black (3/2), gold/brown (5/2), white (11/4), silver/grey (19/4), any other color (7/1)

12: What color liquid will be poured on the winning coach? orange (5/4), blue (3/1), clear (4/1), yellow (4/1), red (6/1), green (10/1), purple (10/1)

13: How many times will the Golden Gate Bridge be shown on TV? Over 0.5 (-300, 1/3) Under 0.5 (+200, 2/1).

The odds above were current as of January 29 and are subject to change. Check Bovada Sportsbook for updated figures and more prop bets closer to the game. 

Whoever wins, Super Bowl 50 should be a great game and a lot of fun to watch - whether you are watching it from three thousand dollar seats at the stadium, or on TV at home or your favorite sports bar, or even from your home on top of a hill a few miles from the stadium. If you don’t know who that is, check out this YouTube site.

You Carolina Panthers fans should be proud of your team and quarterback for an outstanding season. But we Denver Bronco fans know our quarterback Peyton Manning needs another ring before he retires and this is probably his last chance to win one…. so Go Peyton - one more time.