Here Are Some Odd Super Bowl Bets You Can (Legally) Make

Topline

A rapid expansion of legal sports betting throughout the U.S. means more Americans than ever will have skin in the game for Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, but wagers can go far beyond the point spread for the big game—here are some of the oddest bets U.S. sportsbooks are offering.

The Vince Lombardi Trophy is seen before NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addresses the media at a … [+] news conference on February 9, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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Key Facts

The color of the Gatorade bath the winning coach traditionally receives is one of the most popular novelty prop bets: BetMGM puts orange as the favorite at +200 odds (meaning a successful $100 bet would return a $200 profit), followed by yellow or green at +350 and blue at +400.

Who the Super Bowl MVP will mention first in his postgame interview is also fair game for betting—DraftKings Sportsbook puts thanking the team or his teammates as the favorite at +100 odds, followed by the city or fans at +275 and God or religion at +350, while thanking the owner comes in at a longshot +2000.

There’s money to be made if the final score is one never recorded in NFL history, commonly called a Scorigami, with Barstool Sportsbook offering +1400 odds for that to happen.

Odds for an octopus, when the same player scores a touchdown and two-point conversion in the same drive, come in at +1400 at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Caesars Sportsbook gives +600 odds for a missed kick hitting an upright during the game.

Most large U.S. sportsbooks allow bets on the result of the coin toss—Caesars offers the best odds, at +100 for either heads or tails.

Surprising Fact

Strange bets like words being forgotten in the national anthem and what will happen during the Super Bowl halftime show have received attention in recent days, but the odds appear to be sourced from overseas sportsbooks. Making bets through overseas sportsbooks is illegal in the United States.

Key Background

Millions of Americans will be able to legally bet on the Super Bowl without having to leave their home state for the first time this year, with many not even having to leave the couch due to legalized mobile betting. According to the American Gaming Association, sports betting is now live in 30 states plus the District of Columbia, covering a population of more than 100 million. Legalization efforts have moved at a lightning pace since May 2018, when the Supreme Court struck down a 1992 law that largely banned sports betting in the U.S. outside of Las Vegas. Three states—Florida, Ohio and Nebraska—have passed laws legalizing sports betting but haven’t authorized sportsbooks to start operations yet, while legislation has been filed in another seven states to legalize sports betting, according to the American Gaming Association.

Big Number

$7.6 billion. That’s how much the American Gaming Association expects Americans to bet on Super Bowl LVI, which would be a massive increase from the record $4.3 billion bet on Super Bowl LV.

Tangent

Famed Houston furniture store owner Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale placed the biggest legal sports bet in U.S. history Friday morning on live television outside a rest stop bathroom in Vinton, Louisiana. McIngvale bet $5 million on the underdog Cincinnati Bengals, adding to a $4.5 million wager he placed on the Bengals last week. McIngvale is set to make a profit of more than $16 million if the Bengals come out on top. The Los Angeles Rams are four-point favorites in the game.