This Super Bowl is set to be the largest gambling event in recent memory. According to the American Gaming Association, Americans are projected to bet a staggering $23.1 billion on the Big Game this year, a significant increase from the previous year’s $16 billion.
The Super Bowl offers a unique betting experience unlike any other sporting event. It’s not just about predicting the winner or the scores; in Vegas, you can place bets on almost anything. From guessing the color of the Gatorade bath to the likelihood of an on-field streaker or a postgame proposal, there are countless moments during Super Bowl Sunday where Americans can try their luck and potentially lose their money.
To celebrate the Super Bowl’s debut in the City of Sin, we present some of the wildest and most unusual bets you can place on this special day.
Are you skeptical about the skills of “Brock Purdy” as a quarterback? Are you willing to back up your opinion with money? Then consider placing a bet on 49ers backup Sam Darnold to win the MVP title! The chances of this happening are incredibly slim, considering the historical bias towards Super Bowl MVPs being quarterbacks. Outranking defensive stars like Trent McDuffie from Kansas City or Chavarius Ward from San Francisco, as well as the explosive Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Darnold’s valuation is quite amusing.
The Chiefs’ passing offense heavily relies on two players, Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice, with the exception of Marquez Valdes-Scantling. During the last two playoff games in 2024, Valdes-Scantling managed to make four catches totaling 100 yards. In one game against Buffalo, he had two catches for over 30 yards each. Throughout his playoff career, Valdes-Scantling has averaged an impressive 18.38 yards per reception. Betting on Valdes-Scantling to make a catch seems like a reasonable choice.
Looking for a bet that’s both hilarious and satisfying? How about wagering on a kicker missing their kick and hitting the goalposts, creating a funny sound effect? The incorporation of FO’s innovative “Doink Cameras” will only enhance the experience.
The infamous Drake Curse is well-known in the world of sports. OddsShark has analyzed instances where Drake’s support for a team indirectly or directly led to their tragic downfall in championship games. While the results may be debatable, one thing is certain: Drake’s bandwagon fandom is hard to ignore. It would be amusing to see Drake, known for his bad luck, rooting for the most successful and visible team in American professional sports during the Super Bowl. If you truly believe in the power of the Drake Curse, combining a bet on the curse with a 49ers moneyline bet could yield a significant payout.
Sportsbooks are predicting that Reba McEntire will breeze through the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. The average duration of the Super Bowl national anthem has increased in recent years, with the average time since 2000 being 115.4 seconds. Considering McEntire’s up-paced singing style, it’s unlikely that she will match the traditional pace of 92 beats per minute. Unless there is insider knowledge, betting on the anthem lasting under the average time seems like a risky choice.
As the halftime show performer, Usher has naturally become a topic of betting discussion. His 2004 hit “Yeah!” is currently listed as a strong favorite on Betano. Options to bet on Ludacris and Lil Jon appearances have been removed, and among the remaining choices, Alicia Keys is the frontrunner. However, there are other long-shot bets worth mentioning. It’s highly unlikely that Usher would allow Taylor Swift to upstage him at his own headlining event, so that option can be disregarded. The rest of the names on the board only have one-off song options. Justin Bieber would be the best choice, considering Usher’s mentorship, but their collaboration is limited to a remix of Bieber’s song. Will.i.am and Post Malone are both late-career collaborators, making their appearances less impactful. Nicki Minaj and Usher have multiple tracks together, but there seems to be some unresolved conflict between them. This leaves Pitbull, Usher’s collaborator on “DJ’s Got Us Fallin’ In Love,” as the most likely choice. It would be quite amusing to see Pitbull make a brief appearance in Vegas this year, especially after being snubbed from the Miami halftime show.
DraftKings offers a whole page dedicated to Taylor Swift-related props and parlays, categorized by her song titles. Some of these bets, while fitting with the song titles, are incredibly improbable and worth mentioning:
Travis Kelce, throughout his career in both the regular season and postseason, has only been held to zero receptions once. This occurred in the second game of his rookie season, and the Chiefs still managed to win that game.
While two-point conversions have become more common in recent years, they remain rare in the Super Bowl. Only two Super Bowls have featured multiple successful two-point conversions: the New England Patriots’ comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 and the San Diego Chargers’ failed comeback in 1995. This has happened once during this year’s playoffs, in Dallas’ unsuccessful comeback against the Green Bay Packers. Successful two-point conversions in the playoffs have occurred only five times since 2000, and in each case, one team was responsible for both conversions.
This particular bet may not seem strange on its own, but when compared to another Taylor Swift-related prop on the list, it stands out. The “Love Story” prop bet predicts that the Chiefs will win, with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce accounting for all of the Chiefs’ touchdowns. The odds for this bet are at +2000. While it may be the specificity of the “first” and “last” touchdowns, it seems odd to have a more improbable series of events at better odds compared to other bets that exclude touchdowns from other skill position players.