The Best Prop Bets for Super Bowl LVII

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will meet in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, AZ. In addition to being the biggest moment of the NFL calendar, it’ll be the most bet-on event of the sports year. The Eagles are 1.5-point favorites, but the spread is just a portion of the action: There are lots of other Super Bowl prop bets to wager on.

How Super Bowl Prop Bets Work

In a prop bet, a bettor places a wager on any number of specific events that might occur before, during, or after the game. The Super Bowl is a bonanza for these kinds of wagers, as sportsbooks have stepped in to replace the friendly bets friends previously made among themselves. As long as you live in a state that has legalized sports betting, you can bet on just about anything, though different sportsbooks post different wagers. In many states, you can place bets online at sites like DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM, but make sure to check the gambling regulations for your location first.

Different Super Bowl prop bets might include picking who will win the coin toss, make the first catch of the game, score the final touchdown, or win MVP honors. Plus, if you look hard enough, you can bet on things totally separate from the game, like which player the TV cameras will zoom in on first.

Understanding the Odds

Assessing the odds for each bet will help you determine how much cash you can win. Odds with a plus sign indicate a less probable outcome, and they show the amount you’d win for every $100 you bet. Odds with a minus sign indicate the more likely outcome, and they show the amount you need to bet in order to win $100. A bet at -110 odds, for example, means a $110 wager would return $100 in profit ($210 total), while +150 means a $100 wager would return $150 ($250 total). The longer the odds, the larger the payout.

I recommend caution in sports betting generally, but particularly with prop-picking. My approach is to bet on props to make the game more fun. I avoid betting an amount of money that would wreck my night if the national anthem went too long or some receiver didn’t go over 71.5 yards.

Here are some Super Bowl prop bets worth considering as you watch the game (it airs at 6:30 p.m. EST on Feb. 12). Keep in mind that odds may vary slightly depending on where you place your bets.