Super Bowl prop bets explained
If you’re planning to bet on the Super Bowl this February and keep hearing about prop bets then you’d be justified for wondering what on earth’s going on.
There aren’t football props or cricket props, so what are NFL prop bets about? Well, the term is most commonly used in the US when discussing NFL betting (and other sports Americans like) – 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.
Paddy Power has therefore created this guide to explain what prop bets are and offer up some examples ahead of the Super Bowl. They might seem confusing at first but most bettors are familiar with props without even knowing it!
What Are Prop Bets?
A prop bet is an American term for markets that focus on outcomes that have nothing to do with the final score. Props are effectively side bets on the other things that happen in sport, rather than match bets, which Americans call the “moneyline”.
In the UK and Ireland we’re more likely to call props “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. Darts props might focus on the number of 180s in a match.
NFL prop bets are the same as any other sport – they simply focus on non-result outcomes. They get into extreme detail because there are so many action points in an NFL 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. Here at Paddy Power we don’t really differentiate side bets from match bets, but that doesn’t mean we can’t highlight some of the “props” worth looking at this year.
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 at Paddy Power!
Anytime Touchdown Scorer – This simple bet backs a player to score a TD at any time. It’s far more effective than betting on a player to score the first touchdown and it naturally lasts the whole game. The drawback, 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, as you can then follow one player across four quarters. However, be sure to do your research first and check how well the player’s quarterback teammate is playing.
Saquon Barkley is the favourite to score a touchdown at any time ahead of Super Bowl LIX, at odds of 1.53. Those are slim odds indeed!
Passing Yards – NFL is all about stats, which is why fans love to bet on NFL so much. Passing yards is a stat that quarterbacks can generate from the distance they successfully throw the ball over the course of the game. 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 1.40 to throw more passing yards than Philadelphia QB Jalen Hurts at Super Bowl LIX.
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. That’s probably not going to be beaten here.
Betting on Travis Kelce to rush the Chiefs to another Super Bowl victory is going to be big this year. Paddy Power has him at 3.75 to receive the most yards in the game, with AJ Brown at 3.20. Tight end Kelce is averaging 8.5 yards per carry this season – his worst season to date. Perhaps betting on Philadelphia’s Brown is a better option.
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.
BTTS – If you bet on football then you might recognise BTTS. It stands for Both Teams To Score and is a common football bet. In the NFL, you can bet on both teams to score in a specific quarter of a game.
So, at Super Bowl LIV, it’s possible to bet BTTS in the first quarter at odds of 2.10. That’s actually a pretty good price when you consider the offensive capabilities of both teams.
Winning Margin Bands – Predicting the correct score in the Super Bowl is really difficult, so instead you can back a team to win by a points range. The bands range from five to 10, so you can have a market that reads:
Kansas City to win by:
- 1 to 5 points
- 6 to 10 points
- 11 to 15 points
- etc
This is a great bet if you think the Super Bowl will be one-sided and you feel you can roughly predict the final score.
Bet on the Super Bowl
So there you have it, six Super Bowl prop bets to consider ahead of the big game. If you want more advice for betting on Kansas City vs Philadelphia 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
- NFL Quiz– How many Super Bowl winners can you name?
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