If you’re new to sports betting or plan to stick a few quid on the Super Bowl for the first time this season then you might not have encountered prop bets. The term is most commonly used in America when discussing NFL betting and it’s something we Europeans don’t really think too much about.
But prop bets can be incredibly valuable when you’re assessing which markets to bet on during the Super Bowl.
In this guide we’ll explain what prop bets are and offer up some examples ahead of the big game. They might seem confusing at first but most bettors are familiar with props without even knowing it!
What Are Prop Bets?
Prop bets are betting markets on outcomes that don’t have anything to do with the final score. Props are effectively side bets on the other things that happen in sport. In the UK and Ireland we’re more likely to call them side bets, or not differentiate between them and match odds at all.
For example, football prop bets can include betting on corners, cards and first goalscorers. Tennis props include betting on the number of aces in a match, or which player wins the first set. In golf, prop bets can focus on a player scoring a hole in one, or maybe beating a rival on the leaderboard.
NFL prop bets get into extreme detail because there are so many action points in a game. High points totals aid over/under prop bets, stats-driven rules help when betting on plays, and the game is so focused on individuals that you can enjoy a raft of player props.
Super Bowl Prop Bets
If you’re new to NFL betting and plan to follow the Super Bowl with Paddy Power then it’s worth knowing all about props. Below are some of the top bet options available for this year’s big games, including two Super Bowl Game Props that have already gone live in the PP sportsbook!
Anytime Touchdown Scorer – This simple wager backs a player to score a TD at any time. It’s far more effective than betting on them to score the first touchdown and naturally lasts the whole game. The draw-back, of course, is that you get shorter odds. Anytime touchdown scorer is a great first Super Bowl prop bet for anyone new to the game.
Christian McCaffrey is the favourite to score a TD at any time ahead of Super Bowl LVIII, at odds of 1.50. Those are slim odds indeed!
Passing Yards – The quarterback is the focal point of many NFL prop bets and passing yards is a good introductory market if you’re a beginner. Here, you’re betting on how many yards the QB will gain from throwing the ball. Kurt Warner threw a record 395 yards in the 1999 Super Bowl for the Rams.
That’s unlikely to happen this time, but Patrick Mahomes is 1.83 to throw +262.5 yards in Nevada.
Receiving Yards – You can also bet on the guy who receives the ball from the QB and predict how many yards they’ll make during a game. The record for receiving yards at the Super Bowl is 215, set by Jerry Rice in 1989.
Betting on Travis Kelce is going to be big this year and Paddy Power has him at 1.83 to run +68.5 yards. The tight end is averaging 11.4 yards per carry in the playoffs, and is a good prop bet here.
Interceptions – Did you know you can bet on a quarterback to go a whole game without throwing an intercepted pass? For the pessimists among us, you can also bet on them to throw an interception at some point in the Super Bowl. Rich Gannon (Oakland, 2003) is the only player ever to throw five interceptions in one Super Bowl game.
This year San Francisco’s Brock Purdy is equally priced at 1.83 to throw an interception as he is to not. That’s a difficult Super Bowl prop bet to call.
Kicking Points – Another over/under prop bet is to wager on how many points the kickers will get. Super Bowl LVIII is a match-up between Jake Moody and Harrison Butker. Moody’s line is set at 6.5, while Butker’s is at 7.5. This slight difference in the odds suggests Kansas City’s Butker is tipped to score more points than his counterpart.
Bet on the Super Bowl
So there you have it, five Super Bowl prop bets to consider ahead of the big game. If you want more advice for betting on San Francisco vs Kansas City then check out our NFL tips page for the latest updates, analysis, and picks!
Read More on NFL
- NFL Betting Guide for Beginners
- How NFL Odds Work – Your Quick Guide
- When is Super Bowl 2024? Date, kickoff time, teams and stadium for Super Bowl LVIII
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
