In the world of prop bets, picking the Super Bowl MVP is king. It’s not guessing the apparel of the national anthem singer, what color…
In the world of prop bets, picking the Super Bowl MVP is king.
It’s not guessing the apparel of the national anthem singer, what color the sportsdrink will be in the victorious celebration, or how many plays Tony Romo will correctly predict — good luck scoring that one, poor sportsbook employee — but choosing the most valuable player has that perfect mix of luck and skill attached to it. There’s far less randomness attached to it than a coin toss. After 52 Super Bowls, we have some idea about how these things go. And yet, it doesn’t feel like it requires a deep amount of football knowledge. It’s a prop even your mother can enjoy.
“Probably [Julian] Edelman,” said my mother Christine, who used to harangue my father and me for monopolizing the TV with football and assured she wouldn’t be watching at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. “That’s who [Tom Brady] usually throws all the touchdowns to, right?”
The second-leading catch man in NFL playoff history isn’t a bad call, especially at the +2000 odds being offered by Bovada on Feb. 1. (Meaning a $100 bet would nab a $2,000 profit.) There are, however, better ones in this author’s opinion.
For entertainment purposes only, which I say mostly just because the 14-page wagering menu from the new sportsbooks in Rhode Island inexplicably don’t include an MVP prop, here’s a rundown of your options for Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta.
Seven of the last nine and 24 of the last 40 Super Bowl MVPs have been quarterbacks, which is little surprise to anyone aware of what a passing-friendly league the NFL has become. (This regular season set an all-time record for passing touchdowns, and though this year only ranked third in total passing yards, the past 10 seasons are the 10 highest all-time.) As such, Tom Brady (+140) is the odds-on favorite to make it five Super Bowl MVPs, with Jared Goff (+250) a clear No. 2.
Brady threw for just 145 yards against the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, but his final-drive heroics pushed him past Ty Law (seven tackles, one pick-6 interception) for his first award.
