What’s great about the Super Bowl, and what makes it such an iconic part of the American cultural landscape, is that you don’t really need to be a football junkie to have an interest in it. Beyond the game, there’s something for everyone, whether it’s the national anthem performer, commercials, celebrities in attendance or halftime show.
The same goes for betting, where prop bets reach far beyond who scores the first touchdown or gains the most yards. So, let’s look at some potential wayside wagers for Super Bowl LIX, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
An important note and a word of warning: Most of the unorthodox prop bets come from offshore sportsbooks that do not have the same regulatory standards as the North American books. These are primarily for entertainment purposes (or maybe for use in your party props pool).
Will a player or coach cry during the national anthem?
National Anthem prop bets are nothing new. They usually revolve around how long the performance will take or whether the performer will forget a word or mess up the song.
You can bet on the length of Jon Batiste’s performance (over 120.5 seconds is -122, and under 120.5 seconds is +100) and whether or not he will use a piano to perform (yes is -650, and no is +420). The over has hit in six of the past 10 years, and Kelly Clarkson (in Super Bowl XLVI) is the only recent performer to hit the number right on the mark.
But you can also bet on whether or not Batiste’s performance — or the moment — is so moving that it brings a player or coach to tears.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni could not get through “The Star-Spangled Banner” in his first Super Bowl appearance against the Chiefs two years ago without shedding a tear. Maybe his prior experience and the focus on unfinished business will have him in a different headspace this time.
Will Travis Kelce propose to Taylor Swift?
There will be plenty of Taylor Swift prop bets, including whether or not she is shown during the national anthem (yes -120, no +110) and how many times she is shown during the anthem (over 1.5 and under 1.5 are both -110).
You can also bet on whether or not Travis Kelce and the Chiefs will win the Super Bowl in the same year that Swift wins the Grammy Award for Album of the Year (+900).
The most notable bet from a pop culture standpoint is whether or not Kelce proposes to her after the game. This one likely relies on a Chiefs win. It’s tough to imagine Kelce on one knee as Eagles fans swarm the field.
Kendrick Lamar halftime show guests
Future (+125), Metro Boomin (+125), Lil Wayne (+164), Baby Keem (+170)
Lil Wayne would seem like an easy guest-appearance prediction because he’s from New Orleans, and some were shocked that he wasn’t chosen to perform in his hometown. During an appearance on the “Skip Bayless Show,” Lil Wayne mentioned that he had spoken to Kendrick Lamar after the Pulitzer Prize-winning artist was chosen to headline and wished him luck. But when asked if he would be making a guest appearance, Lil Wayne said he would not even be in the country for the game. So, that’s something to keep in mind.
Will there be a power outage?
The last time Caesars Superdome hosted the Super Bowl, the game was interrupted by a power outage that delayed it for 34 minutes. Although no odds are currently listed for this year’s contest, the same prop was a +1600 for yes and -15000 for no for last year’s game at Allegiant Stadium.
“That’s not your job” props
Getting back to the action on the field, let’s talk about the possibility of somebody making a play that goes beyond their normal job description, like a quarterback catching a pass, an offensive lineman scoring a touchdown or a trick play involving a non-quarterback throwing a touchdown pass.
These things have been known to happen in Super Bowls, with Antwaan Randle El and Trey Burton throwing touchdowns and defensive players like Mike Vrabel (twice!) and William “Refrigerator” Perry scoring touchdowns.
For the record, only three quarterbacks have actually caught a pass in a Super Bowl: Nick Foles, John Elway and Jim Kelly.
These are only some of the many goofy Super Bowl-related props. Which ones do you like?