» Jan 29, 2008
Many people will put some money down on the Super Bowl, whether it’s a friendly wager or a bet at an online sportsbook.
And while point-spread, moneyline and over/under are the most common wagers, proposition bets are becoming very popular. All sportsbooks – like BodogLife, BetOnline.com, BetUS and Sportsbook.com – have a wide array of prop bets, some basic and some wildly imaginative.
Proposition or prop bets (also called side bets or exotic bets) are made on an outcome or a proposition, often within a game. Some basic examples are which team will score first, or will a certain player score a touchdown.
The number of Super Bowl proposition wagers has reached new heights this year, with online sportsbooks offering hundreds of different prop bets for Super Bowl XLII, which pits the New York Giants against the favored New England Patriots on Feb. 3 at the University of Phoenix Stadium.
BodogLife has nearly 300 prop bets available, divided into two categories: individual players and team bets.
Among individual-player wagers, there are dozens of straightforward bets for most passing yards, rushing yards, receiving yards and so on. Or, an always-popular team prop bet is which team will win the coin toss (Giants -105) or Patriots (-105), or will the coin toss itself be Heads (-105) or Tails (-105).
Even the halftime show is part of the wagering this year at BodogLife, as you can bet on which songs musician Tom Petty will perform.
Some sportsbooks, like BetUS, offer NFL bettors a chance to set their own point spread and over/under total. The point spread opened at 14 in favor of the undefeated Patriots, but was quickly bet down to 12, or 11 in some cases, when bettors decided the Giants would beat that big spread.
But if you think the Patriots will win big, you can pick a point spread of, for example, 24½, which would give you a return of +450 if New England covers.
BetOnline.com has more than 500 proposition bets available for Super Bowl XLII – the largest and most varied selection of wagers among online sportsbooks.
BetOnline.com has wagers in several different categories, including General Game Props, Teams Stats, Player, Touchdown and Field Goal, and Contest.
At Sportsbook.com, team prop bets include whether there will be a Defensive or Special Teams Touchdown: Yes (+150) or No (-185).
Check out prop bets at these sportsbooks if you want to add some extra excitement to what should be a very entertaining Super Bowl.
