As the Super Bowl approaches, our email in-box is receiving a steady stream of messages on the wagering aspects of the game. It seems as though some people actually BET on the Super Bowl. Imagine that!
In fact, some folks inside the gaming industry estimate the financial number for all Super Bowl wagering -- meaning Las Vegas, the Internet, street bookies, office pools -- is as high as $10 billion. That's with a B.
Recently, we received an e-mail from Bodog, the fairly well-known online gambling site with some of its 500 prop bets for the Super Bowl. Prop bets are wagers where you can bet on things that happen within the game, say, whether the Giants will have more field goals or turnovers, or which player will score the first touchdown.
But Bodog's prop bets go well beyond the similar wagers offered in Las Vegas. In fact, Vegas casinos are not permitted to offer a few types that you'll see online, such as events that can be controlled (see the Joe Buck wager below).
I asked the Bodog folks about the quirky prop bets and Richard Gardner, Bodog Sportsbook Manager, e-mailed: "We have a group of sports enthusiasts from a variety of departments within the company who basically take the 'water cooler' chat into a room every week to brainstorm and discuss what's in the news and sports tabloids. All of them are all borderline obsessed with sports and pretty much talk about it 24-7; it's no wonder we come up with so many creative props. On occasion we actually have competitions as to who can come up with the most unique ideas to keep the ideas coming."
Here are a few that captured my attention.
Sibling rivalry. Who will have the most passing yardage, Eli Manning in this year's Super Bowl or brother Peyton in last year's? Peyton had 247 passing yards last year. In either case, you have to give 11 1/2 to 10 odds (meaning you have to wager 11.50 coconuts shells to win 10 coconut shells or 115 shells to win 100).
Superman vs. Bizarro Superman. Here's another historical proposition. Tom Brady in this year's Super Bowl vs. Tom Brady in the Super Bowl four years ago against Carolina. Brady threw three TDs against the Panthers in 2004. Whether you pick the younger or older Brady, you have to lay 6-to-5, or 120 to win 100. It gets more complicated if you want to bet today's Brady against the real young Brady in the Super Bowl against St. Louis, where he threw just one TD pass. In that case, if you want the current-day Brady, you start out with minus-2 TD passes and lay the 120 to win 100.
Cops vs. Mischief-makers. Will an NFL player get arrested in Phoenix during the week of the Super Bowl (no mention of whether he has to be from a participating team or whether only felonies count). It's a Yes or No bet, minus-120 either way.
Old arrogant guy vs. young arrogant guy. Will Don Shula be on the field to shake Bill Belichick's hand after the game? Yes, plus-150, No minus-200.
Joe Buck vs. your last nerve. This my favorite. How many times will announcer Joe Buck say Peyton (not Eli) Manning's name during the broadcast. The over-under is 5 1/2 and it's minus-125 for the over and minus-115 for the under.
Odds may change by the time you read this.
