Super Bowl Prop Bets Explained

2009 Superbowl
CNBC.com
2009 Superbowl

As many of you know, it was the Super Bowl – and William “The Refrigerator” Perry – that helped popularize prop bets more than 22 years ago.

With that in mind, I called up Bodoglife.com sportsbook manager Richard Gardner to see what he had in store for this year and how he came up with the odds for the strangest of bets.

Please note, the current limit on these bets is $100.

1. How many times will NBC show Brenda Warner on TV during the game?

Over/Under 3 times

Gardner’s Take: Kurt and she are really close and she certainly has a good personality, so this was a natural for us. We actually opened this one at 3 ½ times and enough people bet the under to actually move this line down.

2. How many food references will John Madden make during the game?

Over/Under 1 ½ times

Gardner’s Take: John is always talking about the food, but this is definitely a tough bet. We know he’ll likely make one mention when they come back from a break and they’ll show the concessions. But sometimes he doesn’t make that second mention.

3. How many planes will be included in the pre-game flyover?

2 or less 6/1

3 4/1

4 3/1

5 5/4

6 or More 2/1

Gardner’s Take: It’s normally five, so that’s why those odds are they way they are, but we were definitely thrown when they had a single Stealth Bomber at the BCS Championship Game this year.

4. How long will it take Jennifer Hudson to sing the national anthem?

Over/Under 1:54

Gardner’s Take: We took into account Jennifer’s national anthem times from clips available on YouTube and looked at previous Super Bowl National anthem times to see how long they traditionally were. This bet, over the last couple years, has become among the most popular because it’s a great way to start the game. My buddy and I were doing this 12 or 13 years ago.

Please note for those who aren’t experienced on the national anthem bets. The time starts when the singer says “Oh,” not when the accompaniment begins.

Questions? Comments? SportsBiz@cnbc.com