Fun ways to bet Superbowl odds

• Fun ways to bet Superbowl odds: Spicing up the Super Bowl with prop betting
• Follow the link for more details on Super Bowl odds and the game itself

Betting the Super Bowl doesn’t have to be as dry and as straightforward as picking a side. Given the magnitude of this event, there are plenty of fun ways to bet Superbowl odds, and here’s our pick of four fun bets to make the game more exciting:

“Team to miss their field goal first” will be: Arizona Cardinals -150

One edge that the Pittsburgh Steelers will have in Super Bowl XLIII on February 1st, 2009 will be their special teams. Quite simply, Jeff Reed is a more reliable placekicker than Neil Rackers.

Rackers made 14-of-15 kicks at home and 11-of-13 on the road. But where he struggled on the road was his 30-39 yards of distance as both of his misses came in that range. In the playoffs, Rackers is five-of-seven, with both misses coming from 50-plus yards.

PICK: Arizona -150 to miss first.

“Will any Cardinals player score two or more touchdowns”: Yes +190

Another fun way to bet superbowl odds is by betting on player-specific props. In this case, we are examining a couple of Cardinals players and their opportunities to score at least two touchdowns.

The first one is an obvious one, and that’s wideout Larry Fitzgerald. He scored three touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game and is obviously a threat to score multiple touchdowns in Super Bowl 43.

If it’s not Fitzgerald, running back Tim Hightower might also find his way into the end zone twice. Hightower is the main threat for the Cardinals in the red zone and he’s had two multi-touchdown games this season and finished with 10 on the year.

PICK: Yes +190

"Team to have the most ball possession": Pittsburgh Steelers -350

Although props are a fun way to bet superbowl odds, sometimes it’s just about common sense. The NFL stats don’t lie, which is why for this prop bet, it’s better to lean with the Steelers.

The Steelers ranked seventh in the NFL as far as time of possession goes and the Cardinals ranked 17th. Moreover, the Cardinals are not a rushing team and they have the weaker defense. They aren’t likely to win the time of possession even if they win the game.

PICK: Steelers -350

"Will either team have a 300-yard passer": No -300

Even though the Cardinals are a pass-first team and Kurt Warner was – at one point – on pace to break Dan Marino’s regular season passing record, don’t count on him topping 300 yards in the Super Bowl.

The Steelers have a formidable defense and they are not going to give Warner any time in the pocket to get set and comfortable, so don’t expect many deep bombs. Warner has yet to surpass the 300-yard mark in a playoff game.

On the flip side, Ben Roethlisberger only topped 300-yards passing three times this season, including both playoff games.  

With both teams trying to run the ball and milk the clock, don’t expect a 300-yard passer on February 1st, 2009 when Super Bowl 43 is played.

PICK: No -300

For more insight and analysis on fun ways to bet superbowl odds, check out the BetOnline.com Betting Edge daily.