The Fun Side of Betting on the Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events of the year both on the field and off. It is also one of the biggest events for gambling both legally and illegally. Last year in Vegas there was $138.5 million bet just in Vegas Sportsbooks and Vegas made over $10 million. The total bet last year on Super Bowl 51 was estimated to be over $4 billion which equals out to around 95% of bets being illegal (can we please just make gambling legal already). Of course you can bet on the actual outcome of the game by betting on the point spread, the money line, and the over/under but this year there are over 400 prop bets you can find. This means that even if you don't like football there are still numerous lines you can bet on to have some fun, I went through and found some of my favorites and how I would bet on them. I am by no means a gambling professional so take this advice at your own risk but let's have some fun.

The first few bets I looked at deal with the actual game:

-Point Spread: As of this writing the Patriots are 4.5 point favorites (-110) which means if you choose to bet this you are thinking the Patriots will win by 5 or more and if you bet $1 you will win .91. As far as this bet goes I like the Pats, the Eagles defense is good and will be one of the best the Pats will have faced this year but I can't bet against Brady and Belichick. They have the most experience of any player and coach in the history of the NFL. I also don't trust Nick Foles, I have a lot of experience watching him when he was the QB of the Rams.

-Moneyline: Moneyline betting is just choosing the winner of the game, the Pats are -175 (you bet $1 to win .57) and the Eagles are +155 (bet $1 to win $1.55). If you don't trust the point spread I would look here for you bets on either team but once again I am taking the Pats.

-Over/Under: With Over/Under bets you are betting on the total of the game, this game is set at 48.5 with the Over being -105 and the Under being -115. The Pats won their first playoff game 35-14 for a total of 49 points and their second game 24-20 for a total of 44. The Eagles won their first game 15-10 for a total of 25 and their second game 38-7 for a total of 45. The previous 5 Super Bowls have had totals of 62, 34, 52, 51, and 65; so 4 of the past 5 years has gone over 48.5. The Eagles have a really good defense but the Pats are average at best, for me it all comes down to Foles. If he can have a good game and carve up the Pats D this could definitely go over. I have never been a big Over/Under bettor but I am leaning towards the under here.

Alright with the business side done lets get to some of the fun bets:

-Outcome of the Coin Toss: Heads(-105) or Tails (-105) The last 10 Super Bowls is split right down the middle 5 apiece so the 50/50 chance really holds true here. I am sticking with the old saying of "Tails never fails"

-How Long Will it Take Pink to Sing the National Anthem: Over 2 Minutes(-150) or Under 2 Minutes(+110) Some previous times: Luke Bryan 2:04, Lady Gaga 2:09, Idina Menzel 2:04, Renee Fleming 1:54, Alicia Keys 2:35, Kelly Clarkson 1:34. The average of the last 12 Super Bowls is 1:58.6 so 2 minutes is a tough bet but I like the odds of under 2 minutes and could see Pink getting in and getting out like Kelly Clarkson did.

-Color of Pink's Hair: White/Blonde(+125), Pink/Red(+200), Green(+300), Blue/Purple(+500), Brown/Black(+700) Looking at Pink's Instagram her hair has been blonde for quite a while and it was blonde at the Grammy's but she is from Pennsylvania so maybe she goes green to support the Eagles. I like the odds for green but would go with white/blonde.

-Will Pink be Airborne: Yes(+300) No(-500) Gaga went airborne at the halftime show last year and Pink was airborne at the 2010 Grammy's so maybe she will want to relive old memories. But its the national anthem and I think she will just get up there and sing it so I am taking the No on this one.

-Will Pink say "Eagles" before, during, or after singing: Yes(+150) No(-200)I love this prop since she is from PA but I have no idea if Pink likes the Eagles or even football for that matter. I will take the Yes just because I love this prop and hope she gives some love to the hometown.

-What color shirt will Belichick have on at kickoff: Blue(-150), Grey(+130), Red(+1000), White(+1000) Bill always wears a hoodie or pullover during games so I am guessing we are talking about the color of that. His hoodies/pullovers are usually blue but he does have the cutoff sleeve hoodie which is grey. I took Bill as a very superstitious person so I am saying he wears the classic Pats blue.

-How many times will "wardrobe malfunction" be mentioned during telecast: Over 1.5(+300) Under 1.5(-500) With JT performing the halftime show it is guaranteed to be discussed at least once because when he performed in 2004 we had "Nipplegate" when he exposed Janet Jackson. But I am taking the under here, I think the producers will tell the announcers not to bring it up to many times.

-How many times will Brady's age be mentioned: Over 1.5(-280) Under 1.5(+185) I am taking the over here, Cris Collinsworth won't be able to control himself.

-How many times will Carson Wentz be mentioned: Over 3.5(-175) Under 3.5(+135) Once again this bet comes down to the play of Nick Foles, if he plays well they will mention Wentz a couple times but if Foles sucks they will mention Wentz a bunch. I am taking the over because I don't trust Foles.

-How many times will Donald Trump tweet on February 4th: Over 5(-140) Under 5(EVEN) The past few days Trump has tweeted 7 times on 1/26, 3 on 1/25, 4 on 1/24, and 6 on 1/23. I like the over here especially since the whole day counts towards the total.

-Will Donovan McNabb's vomiting incident from Super Bowl 39 be mentioned: Yes(+170) No(-250) Super Bowl 39 featured the Eagles and McNabb versus the Pats and in the 4th quarter McNabb was hit hard on a few plays and he was rumored to vomit. Because of the rematch and just to keep this story going I am taking the Yes here.

-Will Brady's jersey be stolen again: Yes(+1000) After last years Super Bowl Brady's jersey was stolen from the locker room and took months to find. Will another person try this stunt to get some news coverage? Betting $1 to win $10? I say why not

-How many times will Janet Jackson be mentioned: Over 1.5(+150) Under 1.5(-200) I think she is mentioned once for sure but that's it, producers and news coverage are trying to bury "Nipplegate" as much as possible.

-What color liquid will be poured on the winning coach: Green/Yellow(+225), Orange(+300), Red(+400), Clear/Water(+400), Blue(+400), Purple(+1000) Super Bowl L was orange, XLIX was blue, XLVIII was orange again, XLVII none, XLVI was purple, XLV was orange again, and XLIV was orange. Orange seems to be the usual suspect here and it has nice odds at +300 so I am taking that.

-Justin Timberlake shoe color: White(-120), Black(+200), Brown/Beige(+700), Red(+1200), Blue(+1000), Green(+1000), Yellow(+2000) JT was not at the Grammy's this year but he did attend a pre-party and wore some black shoes. I am thinking he goes back to the black for the sharp dressed look.

-Will any members of NSYNC join JT during halftime show: Yes(+200) No(-300) I have no idea what any of the other members of NSYNC are doing now and I can't imagine any of them have really been keeping up with the music. There is always a big guest appearance but I like someone like Jay-Z to join JT

-Who will the MVP mention first in their speech: Teammates(+200), God(+300), City(+700), Coach(+700), Owner(+1000), Family(+1600), None(+200) Most guys mention teammates first so I think that is the best bet but if Brady wins he might thank his trainer and TB12.

Those are some of my favorite Super Bowl prop bets you can find but like I said there are around 400 you can bet on. Let's all blow our money and hopefully make a little bit on Sunday. Good luck betting and good luck heading to work on Monday.

A Packers Dynasty: What Could Have Been

With Aaron Rodgers suffering a broken collarbone in week 5 of the NFL season and looking like he will miss the rest of the season, I started thinking about all the injuries the Packers have suffered over the years. Without Rodgers the Packers Super Bowl chances take a major hit which shows how important he is to this franchise. This specific NFL season has been a strange one to start out with no dominant team coming out of the first 6 weeks. Most experts liked the Packers to win the NFC because they had Rodgers behind center. I knew it was a lot but the amount the Packers franchise has suffered has been incredible and its even more incredible how they continue to be a perennial Super Bowl contender. I am going to start with Rodgers rookie year and show the team record and where their season ended. Then I will show all the injuries the team suffered and how long they were without that player. I will be showing major players for that team and players that missed at least 3 weeks of the season. After I show the Packers season I will show Rodgers stats and where they ranked in the NFL. Rodgers entered the NFL in 2005 but did not start until 2008 so we will start there.

-2008: Packers Record: 6-10, did not make playoffs Injuries: Nick Barnett MLB(Injured Reserve), Atari Bigby DB(IR), Cullen Jenkins DE(IR), Mark Tauscher OT(IR), Scott Wells C(3 games missed). Even in Rodgers first year the Pack had significant injuries with 2 offensive lineman missing significant time and 3 defensive starters. Rodgers had a great year (which you will notice is an every year thing), he finished 4th in the NFL with 4,038 yards and 4th in touchdowns with 28.

-2009: Record: 11-5, lost in NFC Championship Game Injuries: Atari Bigby DB(3), Jermichael Finley TE(3), Al Harris (who had some great dreads) DB(IR), Jordy Nelson WR(3), Jason Spitz OL(IR), Chad Clifton OL(4). It seems like every season the Packers lose an offensive lineman for a major part of the season and this is what makes Rodgers that much more special.
Rodgers: 4,434 yards (4th in NFL) 30 TDs (4th)

-2010: Record: 10-6, Super Bowl Champs Injuries: Nick Barnett MLB(IR), Atari Bigby DB(PUP), Morgan Burnett DB(IR), Jermichael Finley TE(IR), Ryan Grant HB(IR), Al Harris DB(PUP), Cullen Jenkins DE(5), Brady Poppinga LB(IR), James Starks HB(PUP), Mark Tauscher OT(IR). They won the Super Bowl in a season where they arguably lost the most players and some very valuable ones as well but all that matter is having that ring.
Rodgers: 3,922 yards (7th) 28 TDs (6th)

-2011: Record: 15-1, lost in Divisional Round Injuries: Chad Clifton OT(10), Desmond Bishop LB(3), Bryan Bulaga OT(4), Nick Collins DB(14 and career ending), Greg Jennings WR(3). This was probably their best year regarding injuries but the ones they suffered were major and cost these guys games late in the season.
Rodgers: 4, 643 yards (5th) 45 TDs (2nd)

-2012: Record: 11-4, lost in Divisional Round Injuries: Desmond Bishop LB(IR), Bryan Bulaga OT(IR), Cedric Benson HB(11), Davon House DB(7), Greg Jennings WR(8), Clay Matthews LB(4), Jordy Nelson WR(4), Sam Shields DB(6), Charles Woodson DB(9). This looks like a pro bowl roster not an injury report, going 11-5 seems impossible after looking at this list.
Rodgers: 4,295 yards (8th) 39 TDs (2nd)

-2013: Record: 8-7-1, lost Wild Card game Injuries: Bryan Bulaga OT(IR), Randall Cobb WR(IR), Jermichael Finley TE(IR), Morgan Burnett DB(3), Casey Hayward DB(13), Clay Matthews LB(5), JC Tretter OG (PUP), Aaron Rodgers QB(7). The Pack were 5-2 prior to Rodgers injury but once he went out the season was basically over.
Rodgers: 2,536 yards 17 TDs in 9 games

-2014: Record: 12-4, lost in NFC Championship game Injuries: BJ Raji DT(IR), Davon House DB(3), JC Tretter OG(IR) This was probably a year where the Packers should have won the Super Bowl, they had a great regular season, did not suffer many injuries but lost in overtime to the Seahawks.
Rodgers: 4,381 yards (7th) 38 TDs (3rd)

-2015: Record: 10-6, lost in Divisional Round Injuries: Davante Adams WR(3), Bryan Bulaga OT(4), Morgan Burnett DB(5), Corey Linsley C(3), Ty Montgomery WR(IR), Jordy Nelson WR(IR) Damarious Randall DB(7), Same Shields DB(4). Rodgers lost 3 WRs and still carried the team to the  Divisional Round....have I proven the point that Rodgers is incredible and could/should win MVP every year?
Rodgers: 3,821 yards (17th) 31 TDs (11th)

-2016: Record: 10-6, lost in NFC Championship game Injuries: Demetri Goodson DB(IR), Eddie Lacy RB(IR), Randall Cobb WR(3), Corey Linsley C(IR), Same Shields DB(IR), JC Tretter OG(IR), Blake Martinez LB(3), Clay Matthews LB(4), Damarious Randall DB(7), Quinten Rollins DB(3). The Packers had absolutely no defense and it showed when they lost to the Falcons in the NFC Championship game.
Rodgers: 4,428 yards (4th) 40 TDs (1st)

-2017: Record: 4-2 Injuries: Demetri Goodson DB(PUP), Quinten Rollins DB(IR), Aaron Rodgers QB(Season), Bryan Bulaga OT(3), David Bakhtiari OT(4), Davon House DB(3), Mike Daniels DT(2). 6 games in the season and the Packers are already behind the 8 ball with injuries. With Rodgers being out of the season it appears the season is over for the Packers but maybe Brett Hundley and the dynamic offense can sneak in the playoffs.

I know that every team suffers injuries and has to overcome them but every single year the Packers loose a lot of guys and a lot of them are really important to the team. Their offensive line always seems like a jigsaw puzzle with guys playing out of position and having to fill in for injuries. If the Packers could have avoided some of these injuries I believe they could have won 3 or more Super Bowls and we might be talking about another Packers dynasty.