Guide to Betting on Super Bowl Props

If there were one type of wager that fans associate with “the big game”, it would be placing Super Bowl prop bets. Throughout the NFL regular season, props play a huge role in the profit of both online and land-based sportsbooks.

During the Super Bowl, however, they serve as their own entity, with hundreds of posted props appearing across the spectrum, checking every possible box imaginable on the way. With bets ranging from individual player performance to the Gatorade color of the winning coach’s celebratory shower, you can wager on just about anything in the game and beyond.

There are Super Bowl Props on the coin toss, national anthem, commercials, halftime show, and post-game festivities. All are heavily bet year in and year out, with a gradual increase in handle and overall interest with each passing football season.

What Are Super Bowl Prop Bets?

A prop bet, or proposition bet, is a type of wager where a person bets on some aspect of a game or event (in this case the Super Bowl) that is not directly related to the game’s outcome or the bets associated with it.

Bets predicting the game’s outcome are called straight bets and can be divided into the following types:

• Point Spread Bets
• Moneyline Bets
• Total Bets

With the limitless possibilities for these types of bets, props serve as a form of “situational handicapping,” where the bettor can dive even deeper than the posted prices and odds.

Bets relating to game scenarios, player performance, entertainment and pageantry, and simultaneous events taking place all fall under the proposition gambling umbrella. Their fluidity and flexibility throughout the calendar year make them an intriguing and essential part of the sports betting industry, especially when February arrives.

Understanding the ways props work and how to utilize them on Super Bowl Sunday opens up a completely new realm for bettors. Someone who has no interest in the game or the teams involved can still get in on the action.

Best Betting Sites for Super Bowl Props

• Bovada: Known for its consistency and trustworthiness, while also showcasing great variety with their prop bets, this site is a must for big events like the Super Bowl or a prize fight.
• BetNow: Known for its fast payouts and modern web design, this is a relatively new site that has surged in popularity.
• MyBookie.ag: A site that will benefit disciplined line shoppers, this site is known for its wide variety of sports and competitive spreads and totals.
• BetOnline: This book remains effective due to its smooth navigation and simple-to-read approach, paired with a wide selection of futures that are posted early.

Types of Prop Bets for Super Bowl Sunday

With so many props surfacing over the decades, the easiest way to explain them would be showing you rather than telling you. Getting a visual understanding of what you would see at both an online and land-based sportsbook will help you learn what to do when the time comes for you to place bets.

We also think seeing these may encourage you to go and make some prop wagers right away. Here are a few noteworthy examples used in the recent past:

These are just a few examples, but even so, it’s obvious that there’s a lot of variety to be found with Super Bowl prop bets. Nearly every situation in a contest (having to do with the actual competition or not) is booked for action. Gambling on these scenarios may seem more complex, but it’s actually one of the most organized ways to play any event that is sure to generate betting interest and activity.

What’s the Difference Between a Prop Bet and a Straight Bet?

The differences aren’t hard to grasp, as the very existence of Super Bowl props is meant to provide an alternative way to bet on the game besides making straight bets.

In straight bets, the patron’s focus is on either a side (moneyline or against the spread) or on a total. Most likely, when you hear “sports betting,” the first thing that comes to mind is the concept of a straight bet.

This is a bet where a person bets the outcome of a booked event in hopes of being on the winning side of said bet. Whether it’s wagering on a point spread, a total, or a moneyline, the end result is simple. The final outcome of a sporting contest determines the winner and loser of a straight bet.

When dealing with props, additional factors are added in. These types of bets allow a patron to win money without having to be tied to the ramifications of an event’s score, ruling, or decision.

Prop bets are far more rooted in scenarios and opportunities within the contest itself. For this reason, bettors can have prop plays associated with both sides of a matchup, as the score of that matchup may not be a factor in the bet. In the Super Bowl’s case, this allows people to get action on players without having to be connected to their team’s performance as a whole.

By doing this, a bettor increases their chance of winning without being jeopardized by the game’s end result. It’s merely based off of the performance or probability of the proposition’s components and allows for a more concentrated and in-depth type of handicapping to take place.

How Do I Bet Props Using an Online Sports Betting Website?

• Step 1: Determine Which Online Sportsbook or Mobile App to Use for Prop Bets
• Step 2: See What Types of Props Are Available
• Step 3: Choose What to Wager on and Note All the Plays You’re Considering
• Step 4: Ensure Your Online Sports Betting Account Has Safe Real Money Deposit Options
• Step 5: Place Your Prop Bets

Step 1: Determine Which Online Sportsbook or Mobile App to Use for Prop Bets

The first step is simply one that is based on judgment. A patron should make a choice based on their own personal preferences. Sure, there are precautionary steps and certain things to be on the lookout for when dealing with certain online betting websites, but the choice ultimately rests with the individual. Find a sportsbook that you feel comfortable with and run with it. Taking care of this step quickly can allow for more focus on the later steps.

Step 2: See What Types of Props Are Available

Line shopping is always important for any NFL game, but its importance is at an all-time high for the Super Bowl. The increase in betting interest and posted plays makes for greater variation than what’s normally seen. When a bettor has made their choice on which sportsbook to use, they can then look around for the best value within that book. Each book will post their props differently. The more markets a person tests, the more diversity in props they will find.

Step 3: Choose What to Wager on and Note All the Plays You’re Considering

While stumbling across a good bet that you didn’t see before is great, it’s still important to come in with an idea of what kind of betting concept you want to explore. This is usually done without much effort for most sports fans, but having a general idea will make it easier for potential bettors to navigate their way through the online board and find the types of propositions they desire.

Step 4: Ensure Your Online Sports Betting Account Has Safe Real Money Deposit Options

All the sports betting websites we’ve tested and made sure the real money deposits are safe and work quickly. But any time one is dealing with money in any capacity, a second look should be taken. Be sure to double-check your real money deposits so you know your finances are in line, and the sportsbook has the money needed for you to start wagering. This step is simple but imperative. Once it’s checked off, the customer can engage in the bet itself and not have to worry about any issues that may surface later.

Step 5: Place Your Prop Bets

At this point, it’s plug and play, as a person who has completed the above steps is ready to go to make their Super Bowl prop bets. This is where a person can resort to their own individual betting methods and strategies. Handicapping props is done with the same conviction and effort that a straight or future play requires. Less experienced bettors will want to develop an understanding of NFL betting strategy, but props require less gambling experience and can be made with less discretion relating to the posted odds. That being said, gauging numbers still come in handy with Super Bowl prop bets in order to find the best possible value.

FAQs

Should I Bet On a Point Spread and Prop at the Same Time?

You should never feel forced to do anything in the gambling world, but part of the Super Bowl’s charm is the act of pairing a straight bet with a prop. Handicapping the spread and making that play will initially allow for more time to be spent on finding a prop that suits you. With so many of them available at various locations, much of the intrigue comes in the shopping.

Trying your hand at prop betting in this instance serves as a good opportunity to get involved and make your first attempt, something you only do once.

What If I Don’t Like the Props Available? Is Shopping for Props an Option?

Absolutely! In fact, shopping for props is more expansive than spreads, as there’s only one spread on a game. That line may see variation, but it’s the only of that kind relative to the matchup at hand. Prop bets, however, have practically no limit.

They analyze a 60-minute football game in just about every way imaginable. For this reason, testing multiple markets for prop bets is advised, even if a bettor seems content with the props they have come across thus far. There’s always a chance something else will catch your eye.

Can I Generate Profit Just By Betting Props for the Super Bowl?

Of course, but keep in mind, the value differs depending on where you go and what you’re wagering on. You can generate profit, but it may be of lesser amount. Certain props have less risk associated with them. Think of how you would be profitable with a point spread or total betting strategy. It would all come back to the actual prices you’re betting.

With props, it’s the exact same concept, but with a bit more freedom due to the wide variety created for a specific game or event. Yet, the lack of restriction does not give more value to a play, nor does it diminish it. It simply means you must (like anything in sports gambling) bet accordingly.

Can I Make Prop Bets On Sports Besides the Super Bowl?

If the event is going to attract a legitimate crowd and will be broadcast on television, rest assured there will be props attached to it. While the Super Bowl is definitely accelerated in all things gambling, smaller events that are known to the gambling public always garner consistent prop betting action. Much of this has to do with the fact that sharp bettors break down matchups at a deeper level than casual fans, so they can detect valuable props in a contest even if it’s a lesser-known one.

For this very reason, casual bettors generally hold off on prop betting for smaller sporting events in lieu of the standard straight bets. But props will always hold a niche crowd, as they present value and opportunities for profit on games that may be harder to wager on based off the posted odds.