Sunday's Super Bowl is expected to draw the highest handle for legal gambling in American sports betting history. That's according to an ESPN column on Tuesday.
With sports betting now legalized in so many states, including Montana, legal wagering is as easy as dialing up an app on your phone or stopping by a kiosk if you're 21 or older. You don't even have to talk to a cashier. Experts figure mobile app and online betting will hike almost 70% from last season's Super Bowl.
Every year we like to show you some of the wacky Super Bowl side bets -- officially called prop bets -- and you don't need to know a thing about football to win or lose a little money.
For example, Jim Nantz will handle play-by-play on CBS, and you're welcome to bet on the primary color of his tie. Right now, blue is the favorite. His color man and sidekick is former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who has a knack for predicting plays before they happen. That over/under is 2.5.
Length of the national anthem? Length of the word 'brave' to close the anthem? Odds-makers are thinking between five and six seconds.
Country music's Eric Church is one of your national anthem singers. He generally wears sunglasses in concert. You can bet whether he'll do it again Sunday. Will Kenny G perform during the halftime show?
Which word will be said first during the broadcast: groin or hamstring?
First character to appear in a DoorDash commercial? Grover and Cookie Moster are the favorites.
You can even bet on the nationality of the first baby seen in the new Huggies diaper commercial unveiled Sunday. Will there be a Star Wars commercial?
Sarah Thomas is the first female to join a Super Bowl officiating crew. How will she wear her hair? Up in a hat, or down in a pony tail? Tucked under a hat gives you better odds at the moment. You can also bet on whether she gets knocked down by a player. Odds-makers heavily believe that will not happen.
And feel free to put money on the winner of this weekend's Puppy Bowl, Team Ruff or Team Fluff. That's a pick 'em game, meaning neither team is favored.
If you want to stick to football you can bet height of the tallest player to score a touchdown or weight of the heaviest player.
You can lay money on whether the coin toss comes up heads or tails. By the way, you can get a commemorative coin for 65% off, according to a website I saw Tuesday.
What color of Gatorade bath for the winning coach?
Or, you can always just stick to betting on who wins. For the record, the winner of last year's Super Bowl -- Kansas City -- is favored by a field goal depending on where you look. But do you really want to be against Tom Brady? The guy has already won six Super Bowls. That's exactly why a lot of the world wants to root against him. But is it smart to bet against him?
Imagine if, before the season, you'd have bet on Tampa Bay to just reach the Super Bowl??? Probably could've paid off your house. No home team has ever hosted the Super Bowl until now. And of all years for it to happen, it's the one where not many fans are even allowed in. How about those odds?
My gut says Cookie Monster is the first character to appear in that DoorDash commercial. Of course, the Monster is blue, and he'll probably match Jim Nantz's tie.
Good luck.
