The bookmakers at Bovada have cooked up a vast menu of weird proposition bets on Super Bowl LIII. There may not be tried and true handicapping angles that apply to these Super Bowl Specials, but it is fun to check them out every year.
Bovada is a long-standing online sportsbook has been highly ranked by our researchers, so you can place all of your bets on the site with confidence. Below I will be taking a look at Bovada’s available Super Bowl LIII special props and offering my two cents. If you see any that grab your attention the buttons through this article will allow you to visit Bovada for a closer look.
Bovada Super Bowl Specials
There are right around 40 Super Bowl Specials posted on the Bovada website. It is tough to find value because many of these props are pure guesswork. This being stated, I will provide some insight here and there, because there are a couple that caught my eye.
Odds to Win the Super Bowl MVP Award
This is the one proposition listed among the specials that actually applies to the events that will take place on the field during the game. Since Super Bowl XXV in 1991, the recipients of the award have been given the Pete Rozelle Trophy. He was the NFL commissioner from 1960 to 1989.
The game has been played 52 times, and a quarterback has won the Most Valuable Player Award 29 times. As a result, it comes as no surprise that the two quarterbacks that will be starting in this game are the favorites to win the award. At the time of this writing, Jared Goff is +225, and Tom Brady is +110.
Since Gurley saw very limited action in the NFC Championship game, it’s hard justify betting on him. Of course, if he shows up completely healthy, he has a legit shot. The player I see as the longshot Rams play on the MVP prop is Aaron Donald at +2000.
Remember, linebacker Von Miller took home the Pete Rozelle Trophy in 2016 when he dominated the line of scrimmage against the Patriots. A couple of years before that, Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith won MVP honors. In all, nine defensive players have captured Super Bowl Most Valuable Player awards.
Coin Toss
There is a proposition bet on whether the pre-game coin toss will land on heads or tails. The odds are -105 on either choice.
We have engaged a team of MIT professors to use high-tech supercomputers to run state-of-the-art algorithms to determine which side is best. After conducting exhaustive research around the clock for weeks, they have found that there is an equal chance of either outcome.
On a somewhat more serious note, people have really kept track of this over the years. Heads has been the right choice 25 times, and the other option has clicked 27 times. Last year it was heads, and that broke a four game tails winning streak.
National Anthem
Legendary singer Gladys Knight is going to perform the national anthem in Atlanta before Super Bowl LIII. How long do you think it will take? At Bovada, the over/under is one minute and 45 seconds. The over is favored at -160, and the under is +120.
Here are a couple more that pertain to the singing of the national anthem. Will Gladys Knight be wearing a skirt, a gown, or a dress? Another one asks whether a player will take a knee. Since the NFL forbids the practice, no on this question would seem like an absolute lock, but it is -700, so there isn’t much value.
Trump Tweets
Regardless of what you think about Donald Trump, there is one thing that we all have to agree on: The man does plenty of Tweeting. The over/under on presidential Tweets on Super Bowl Sunday as a whole, not just during the game, stands at six, with both sides at -120.
Gatorade
The color of the Gatorade that will be poured over the head of the winning coach is always one of the silliest special Super Bowl propositions, and it’s back again this year. Lime, another shade of green, or yellow are grouped together at +225. Clear liquid is sitting at +400. Orange is +300, blue is +375, and red is +400.
If you are a longshot Gatorade prognosticator that likes to shoot for the stars, you can get +1000 on purple.
The Chick-fil-A Paradox
Chick-fil-A restaurants are closed on Sundays to ensure their workers get a weekend day off, and they have the opportunity to worship if this is their choice. They have a franchise in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and it has been closed during Sunday Falcon home games.
There is a prop bet on the possibility of them breaking with this tradition for the big game. The bookmakers think this is highly unlikely. Yes, they will be open is +525, and no is -950.
Commercials
Many people that do not follow football during the regular season tune in to the Super Bowl largely because they want to see the rollout of well-produced commercials. The over/under on the total number of commercials shown is 96 at Bovada, and money line on both sides of the proposition is -120.
There are some other exciting betting opportunities that are available to you if betting on commercials floats your boat. If you have strong opinion about whether a Avocados From Mexico commercial will be shown before a Planters commercial, or vice versa, you can put your money on the line.
This is one “which will be shown first” matchup, and there are several others, including the hotly contested Doritos vs. Pringles rivalry.
Halftime Propositions
You don’t have to allow your betting action to be placed on hold during halftime of the Super Bowl. There are a handful of propositions being offered that revolve around the musical performers.
Will Adam Levine wear a hat at any time during his performance? There are few questions anyone could ask me that I would care less about, but hey, this is the Super Bowl.Yes is even money, and no is -140.
Bet Early and Bet Often!
This is your last chance of the year to have some fun betting on football. There are so many propositions, you can have a vested interest at every turn. Odds can change, so if you see an edge, pounce early.
Here’s one final piece of advice: If the Gatorade guy at Mercedes-Benz Stadium owes you a favor, the time to collect is now.