6 Super Bowl prop bets to consider

Though you might not have a rooting interest in the game, there is a Super Bowl prop bet out there for everyone. There are literally hundreds of props to choose from. Here are 6 you might want to consider, whether you’re a die-hard NFL fan, or you’re just sitting through the game to find out who Katy Perry’s surprise halftime guest is. (It’s Missy Elliott … surprise!)

How long will it take Idina Menzel to sing the US National Anthem?

Over 2 minutes 1 second (-110)

Under 2 minutes 1 second (-130)

Here’s Idina Menzel singing the National Anthem in 1 minute 34 seconds. Here’s a more recent video of her singing it in 2 minutes 1 second. I’ve heard a number of theories on why to bet the over on this particular prop bet: She’ll drag it out because she’s a Broadway star … Her best known role is an animated film so she has to get all the face time she can. I’m not buying it. The Super Bowl pregame is a tightly-scripted, finely-tuned machine. It costs up to $450,000 for a pre-game flyover by from the Thunderbirds. We’ll say an F-16 costs around $15 million. They’re not leaving those birds out there any longer than they need to. This one is coming in at under 2 minutes.

Take the under.

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OPENING COIN TOSS WILL BE:

HEADS -102

TAILS -102

Just don’t bet on this. There’s no trick. There’s no angle. In 48 Super Bowls, heads has come up 24 times and tails has come up 24 times. If you simply must bet on the coin toss, find another degenerate at the Super Bowl party you’re attending and each take a side. There is no reason to pay juice on this bet.

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Which song will Katy Perry perform first at halftime?

“Firework” 3/2

“Roar” 3/2

“This Is How We Do” 5/1

“Dark Horse” 12/1

“E.T.” 12/1

“Wide Awake” 12/1

“Waking Up In Vegas” 20/1

“Firework” is a natural closer, so I’ll pass on that one. “E.T.” seems like halftime filler. This is the Super Bowl, so we can draw a line through anything with the word “Vegas” in the title. And “Dark Horse” seems to be everyone’s dark horse pick. I’ll take “Roar.” We already know it’s part of the setlist, and knowing is half the battle. Now, just hope she opens with it. (if you’re looking for a sharp take on this, my 8-year-old daughter says it will be “Roar.” My other daughter says “Firework,” but she also thinks her name is “Kerry Perry.”)

The pick: “Roar”

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Now, on to football:

WILL ROB GRONKOWSKI (NE) SCORE A TOUCHDOWN?

YES -130

NO +110

If you had to create a football player from scratch to neutralize New England’s 6’6”, 265 lb man-child of a tight end, you’d come up with something pretty similar to Seattle’s 6’3”, 235 lb. wrecking ball of a safety, Kam Chancellor. These two will match up plenty on Sunday, but the Patriots will move Gronk around enough to find mismatches. And as good a Seattle’s defense is, Gronk vs. anyone else on that defense is a mismatch. A fully healthy Gronk is Tom Brady’s first option and the best receiver on the field by a mile. He’ll find his way into the end zone on Sunday.

The pick: YES (-130)

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TOTAL SOLO & ASSISTED TACKLES BY: KAM CHANCELLOR (SEA)

OVER 7.0 +135

UNDER 7.0 -155

Richard Sherman gets much of the hype, but Chancellor puts the boom in Legion of Boom. When he’s matched up with Gronkowski, he’ll likely be in the middle of everything. When he’s not, he’ll be able to ballhawk. As Sherman so eloquently described Chancellor’s role in the defense, “a lion running with a pack of wild dogs…that’s something.” Chancellor has been known to step it up in big games (10 tackles in last year’s Super Bowl) and with LOBers Sherman and Earl Thomas both nursing injuries, he could be asked to shoulder a bigger load on Sunday. The over seems like a safe bet.

The pick: OVER 7.0 +135

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TOTAL SCORE

OVER 47.5 (-110)

UNDER 47.5 (-110)

No one likes to bet the under in the Super Bowl, but you might want to consider it this year. Few people will argue with the fact that the Seahawks have one of the more impressive defenses the NFL has seen in recent memory. Throwing out the NFC Championship game, in which Russell Wilson threw 4 interceptions, the Seahawks haven’t given up more than 20 points in a game since Week 11 (That was before Thanksgiving). And for all the talk of New England being a high-powered offense, here are the point totals from their last 5 Super Bowls (all with Brady under center): 37, 61, 45, 31, 38. Betting the under is not fun. It’s not sexy, but it might be the wise play this year.

Take the under.

Brett Steidler is the Online Communities Director at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Contact him at bsteidler@reviewjournal.com.