I saw one thing that I had not really taken notice of before; a large spread of differences in the numbers being thrown about and the odds on a wide variety of prop bets at various online sportsbooks.
When doing the research for the annual OSGA prop story, I saw one thing that I had not really taken notice of before; a large spread of differences in the numbers being thrown about and the odds on a wide variety of prop bets at various online sportsbooks. Let’s just compare just a couple of popular prop bets at several OSGA Elite-rated offshore sportsbooks. |
One of the biggest props for every Super Bowl is who is going to be Most Valuable Player. Naturally the board is filled with every marquee name playing in the game, and logically, the quarterbacks for both teams are the lowest odds. But as you can see in the chart below, there are varying odds for the QB’s and widely different numbers on other marquee players, players who provide great value in what may be a big-play game on Sunday.
Odds to win Super Bowl MVP | |||
Bodog |
Bookmaker |
BetUS |
|
Donald Driver | +2500 | +1500 | +2000 |
Aaron Rogers | +150 | -150 | +150 |
Ben Roethlisberger | +350 | +150 | +200 |
Heath Miller | +3000 | +2000 | +1000 |
In fact, checking odds for just about every prop, you can see huge differences in price and number. Rashard Mendenhall’s Total Rushing Yards range from 77.5 yards at Bodog to 78.5 at 5Dimes and all the way up to 82.5 at BetUS. Every book has a prop for whether or not a punt will be blocked and in this play the odds are what matters. It may displayed differently at different books but betting on ‘No’ could range anywhere from -1100 up to -1300, depending on where you play. There is one prop that has been around since these were invented and the bookmakers have caught on that more often than not a score is made by one of teams at the end of the half.
Score in the Last 2 Minutes of the First Half | |||
Bodog |
Bookmaker |
BetUS |
|
YES | -260 | -300 | -260 |
NO | +200 | +240 | +200 |
There are even a varying number on the National Anthem. Like the coin flip, this one can be a winner (or loser) before the game even starts.
Length of the National Anthem | |||
Bodog |
5Dimes |
BetUS |
|
Over 1 min 54 Sec | -175 | -195 | -135 (1 min 56 sec) |
NO | +135 | +155 | -105 (1 min 56 sec) |
This year there are also a couple of very unique props that may not be duplicated anytime soon such as “Will C Aguilera wear a cowboy hat while singing?†(yes +250), “How Many Times will FOX mention “Brett Favre†on TV during the Game?†(over/under 2.5), “What will Fergie be wearing for her 1st appearance (tight bodysuit +100), and only in Cowyboy’s stadium, “Will a punt hit the scoreboard during the game?†(various odds)
Since all of these props were introduced, sportsbooks offshore have vied to see who has the most, or the craziest props. This has made prop betting evolve into a great marketplace both for price and selection as these wagers and their odds are all posted at the whim of the sportsbooks, prop managers and lines makers. For players, this is an opportunity to shop till you drop. If you really like a prop wager, checking at various online sportsbooks may bring you an extra reward on Sunday.
Give us your favorite prop bets below!
2 comments
2 Comments
Paul K.
February 5, 2011, 10:57 amKudos for mentioning the “Last 2 minutes of the First Half Score” prop. Many sharp bettors and myself have cleaned up using this as their ONLY PROP WAGER for years. Believe it or not is used to be as low as -140 YES / +120 NO as little as four years ago!! YES occurs/wins more than 80%…thus the golden days of those favorable odds are long gone.
ALSO TAKE NOTE…most prop wagers are severely limited to action ($) in most cases and at most books, offshore or Vegas due to “human intervention” and cause for potential “non-random activity”. Who knows who could pay-off beautiful Christina for a quick rendition of The Star Spangled Banner?
My tip: 34D (Over) 1:54 (Under)
REPLYPittsburghPetey
February 5, 2011, 12:00 pmI love the Rushing Prop for Mendenhall. Over 80.5 yards. Go Steelers!
REPLY