“Sports betting is a way for people to stay engaged in the game, even if they’re not a fan of either team playing,” said Steve Bittenbender, an analyst and writer with sports-betting industry site BetOhio.com. “This has been the case for decades, but the legalization of sports betting in Ohio and other states now gives viewers more ways to remain engaged in the big game.”
Ohioans are among those who can bet on who will win the MVP Award and negative outcomes, such as if a quarterback will throw an interception, according to a FanDuel spokesperson. But Ohio is not among the states or countries where residents can bet on Gatorade color or various coin toss outcomes.
Prop bets typically involve individual player accomplishments and the game, but some sports betting apps are getting creative and offering Taylor Swift-themed props because of Swift’s relationship with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Among DraftKings’ numerous options built around Swift song titles are “Look What You Made Me Do: KC Chiefs to Trail in the 4th Quarter and Win the Game” and “Shake It Off: 49ers to score first, Chiefs to win.” Two of Bet365′s Swift-centric options include “Fifteen: Patrick Mahomes to Win Super Bowl MVP,” or Getaway Car: Travis Kelce to Record a 50+ Yard TD.”
Sports betting is also evolving, thanks in part to fantasy sports, Bittenbender said. Traditional wagers on point spreads are still popular, but now there are more options for people to place a bet on players they think will put up great numbers, he said.
Dave Schleter, sportsbook manager for Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway, said some less conventional bets include an Octopus, when a player scores eight points via a touchdown and a two-point conversion, and a Doink, when a team attempts to make an extra point or field goal, but the football hits the upright or cross bar and fails to go in.
Gamblers also can bet if the combined jersey number of all touchdown scorers game equal a number above or below a predetermined number.
There’s also a “Scorigami,” a long-shot prop bet involving a final score never before seen in an NFL game, like 17 to 2 or 14 to 8, he said.
“If you hit on that ‘yes,’ you get paid pretty handsomely,” Schleter said.
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