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NBC Sports: The Erik Kuselias Show

Unusual bets for the Super Bowl

Everyone bets on the Super Bowl point spread and almost everyone bets on the over-under.

But what about the nearly 1,000 Super Bowl props, those sometimes-interesting, sometimes zany wagers you can make on just about anything related to the game?

Our odds partners at OddsShark.com offer their picks on some of the more interesting props (lines courtesy of Bovada ).

Super Bowl MVP: Colin Kaepernick 8/5
The winning QB has won five of the past six MVP awards. Since we predict a 49ers victory, Kaepernick is a lock to win the MVP.

Wall Street up or down: Up -140
The myth is that an NFC victory leads to growth while an AFC victory leads to decline. In 41 years where the ‘Super Bowl Indicator’ was studied, it was correct 33 times. Since we like the 49ers, we like the ‘Up’ wager, which is the favorite position in Vegas and at most online sportsbooks.

Adding words to the anthem: Yes +250
Alicia Keys has pledged to do something terrific with the national anthem and most sportsbooks have set a much higher over-under (currently 2:10 at Bovada after opening at 2:15). We don’t see how she can add 40 seconds to Kelly Clarkson’s rendition from last year without adding at least one extra word.

Coin Toss: Tails
Four times in the past 46 Super Bowls, heads or tails enjoyed a four-game win streak, but never five. The past four games have witnessed heads. Therefore, Super Bowl XLVII must be tails . Who will win? Not sure. However, the Patriots broke a 14-game coin toss losing skid for the AFC last year so maybe the Ravens will continue that pattern.

Historical Matchup – Steve Young Super Bowl 29 vs Colin Kaepernick Super Bowl 47
Passing Yards: -95 for Young
Steve Young threw for 325 yards as the Niners destroyed San Diego 49-26. We predict more ground-game punishment from the Niners this year and more scrambling from Kaepernick.

Joe Flacco passing attempts: OVER 34.5
Our prediction is an early lead for the Niners and a frantic offensive game from the Ravens. He might pass 50 times if we are correct. We play OVER 34.5 attempts.

Ray Rice rushing attempts: UNDER 17.5
For reasons outlined above, we don’t think Baltimore’s dynamic back will get a sustained chance to grind the ball.

Cross-sport bet: Sidney Crosby shots on goal vs Capitals vs Torrey Smith receptions: Smith -115
We see the 49ers getting ahead early and we see lots of passing. Crosby’s Penguins play back-to-back on the weekend and face a Washignton team clamping down on defense after a slow start.

See the latest Super Bowl line and matchup details here at NBCSports.


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