Super Bowl LII is upon on us (or Super Bowl 52 for those no longer practicing the art of Roman numerals).
Millions across the world will tune in, gorging themselves on beer, wings, and other exotic food concoctions reserved for this annual event. Traditional games of Puppy Bowls and Kitten Bowls will be watched, while many wonder if the Bud Bowl will ever return?
The Super Bowl continues to be a cultural phenomenon. And a divisive one at that. Societal issues have surrounded the NFL over the past few years, ranging from the effect of concussions to players right to protest to Tom Brady's connections to the Illuminati.
And of course, there is the wild world of betting on the game.
A standard (fun) betting game at Super Bowl parties involves participants picking squares. The corresponding squares in a 10X10 grid give people a chance to pick the final score at the end of each quarter. For example, you might pick a 4 on the horizontal grid and a 4 on the vertical grid. If the score at halftime is 14 to 14 you could win some money. (This is just a variation. I'm sure it varies from party to party from coast to coast.)
This has never been a favorite of mine so awhile back some friends and I took things up a notch. We picked ten different prop bets -- some standard, some not -- and the winner was decided on who had the most correct picks.
I've decided to share those with you today. (For even more wild bets, check here.)
First song by halftime performer
Does a band or performer wow you with a new song or blow your mind with a sweet classic?
The answer tends to be a popular song even the most casual fan would know. So what's it gonna be for the returning Justin Timberlake? I'm going out on a limb with SexyBack (As I side bet, you can predict if Janet Jackson or *NSYNC or both make a surprise return. Even though Timberlake has stated neither are.)
MVP of the Super Bowl
Pretty straightforward. It will be Jay Ajayi.
Who scores the first touchdown?
This is focused on which player scores the first touchdown. Now, in my version we've eliminated the quarterback as being picked, unless it's for a running score (and noted). So, ideally you're likely to pick a wide receiver, running back, punt returner, tight end, etc. My pick: Rob Gronkowski.
Coin Toss
This category provides you the chances to get two picks. First, you choose if it will be "heads" or "tails" and then you pick you wins the toss. The two do not go hand in hand so if you pick "tails" and the Eagles win the toss (but you picked the Patriots) you still get one pick correct.
Tails never fails, as the old adage goes, with the Patriots winning the call.
Halftime score
Here's another one you can adjust as needed. For this, we simply picked a score with no assigned team. If no one has the correct score, the pick is decided by closest to the total points. For halftime, I'm predicting a 17-14 score.
Final Score/Winner
To mix things up, this one SHOULD include the team. It's only right. Since we're doing most picks out of ten, whoever picks the winner should get the category marked as correct. (Though if you only want to award one winner in this category, use the closest to the total points as your winner).
EAGLES 28 PATRIOTS 24
Who throws the first interception?
Another pretty straightforward category, unless you want to get creative and pick a receiver or running back. I'm going with Nick Foles.
Pick-a-player
This category started when Chad "OchoCinco" Johnson was playing for the Patriots in the Super Bowl. The idea behind it is taking a veteran player in his first Super Bowl or a player outside the normal superstar range and predict their receiving yards or rushing yards. You can even go with a defensive player and predict their sacks.
This one is completely up to the party. Jay Ajayi rushing yards? Chris Hogan receiving yards? You can even do a player's total punting yards if you'd like.
Time of 1st points
Opening kickoff? 3:37 into the game? 12 minutes into the game? Picking is easy, but getting right is hard. This year? 5:31 into the game the first points will be scored.
There it is. Nothing too outrageous, I know, but simply something else to help make the party fun. In case of participants ending up with the same amount of correct picks, there are a variety of ways you can settle the tie. You can split the money among winners. You can pick closest to punting average as a tiebreaker.
It's entirely up to you. Bet safe. Bet wild. Have a few wings. Or just watch for the commercials. (Even those can be bet on).
Do you have your own prop bets you like? Others you think might be fun? Feel free to comment and discuss.
picture courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org
Follow for sports, pop culture and more on Twitter: @jasonrh_78
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