Notis: Chris Stapleton’s National Anthem Over 119.5 Seconds

The “Star Spangled Banner”, the National Anthem, performed at the Super Bowl is the most electrifying prop in sports. It’s the best way to get the juices flowing before the game even begins. The hype of hitting the over/under on the anthem carries through into the first quarter and the entire game. The over/under prop for the Super Bowl has been offered since Super Bowl XLI. Since then, there have been eight overs, six unders, and two pushes. It’s almost as even as a coin toss. With Chris Stapleton set to perform the National Anthem at the big game this year, the over is the only possible choice. 

Chris Stapleton is a slow, soulful country artist that will take his time with every note so fans around the world can feel every word. Additionally, in three of the last four Super Bowls, the national anthem length over has hit. In seven of the previous ten Super Bowls, the national anthem lasted longer than two minutes. Expect Stapleton to take his sweet, merry time with every note of America’s national anthem. 

Silverstein: Color of Gatorade Bath: Blue +400

I am a lifelong, die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan, and therefore for superstitious reasons will not be picking a bet related to the actual outcome of the game. However, what I am focused on is something bigger than sports, something that, if bet on correctly, can truly change people’s lives: gatorade. When the inevitable gatorade pour occurs on the sideline this Sunday for the winning coach, you can bet the color will be blue. Yup, lock it in.

Let’s think logically about this. In all likelihood, the color of the gatorade used for the victory bath will be the same color as the gatorade given to the thirsty players on the sideline throughout the game— why would the team go through the trouble of purchasing a different flavor? So, now we have to determine which flavor of gatorade the teams would most likely choose to drink. The answer has to be blue. It just has to; it tastes great, looks refreshing and is way less controversial from a flavor perspective than say orange or yellow. And hey, blue gatorade has been used in the baths for the last two Super Bowls. So, as the clock ticks down to zero on Sunday evening and your life savings are hanging in the balance, be thankful for my expert advice as Nick Sirrianni gets soaked in sugary sky-blue. Go birds. 

Fischer: Coin Toss Result – Heads (+100)

“Tails never fails.” Or does it? Since 2014, every team that has won the coin toss went on to lose the Super Bowl. At State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., the visiting Kansas City Chiefs will select tails, lose the coin toss and go on to win their third Super Bowl in franchise history. Patrick Mahomes understands the importance of this pregame moment in deciding the outcome of the game. With an ankle that continues to be unstable, Mahomes will look to choose the safe and reliable pick of tails to lose the toss and save his team’s Super Bowl hopes. Lock it in. 

Interestingly, this year’s Super Bowl will include the first pair of brothers to face off for a chance at the Lombardi Trophy. When the Chiefs narrowly defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, national media quickly pushed for Donna Kelce, the mother of Chiefs’ tight-end Travis and Eagles’ center Jason, to flip the coin. However, it is now confirmed that four Pat Tillman Foundation scholars will flip this year’s coin which will inevitably land on heads.

Stuzin: Rihanna’s Halftime Show Under 9.5 Songs

Although I’m not one of them, I know there are plenty of people who watch the Super Bowl solely for the halftime show. This year’s performance by Rihanna is one that has many people excited.

Last year’s show was also highly anticipated, with a huge list of headliners: Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar. As a serious Kendrick fan (and as someone who usually tunes out during the halftime show), this one provided some real potential for me. Nevertheless, Kendrick only ended up playing two of his own songs, and each other headliner only played two or three of their own songs as well. I was disappointed, to say the least.

I’m taking the under on this one, mostly because last year instilled some skepticism in me. Because Rihanna is the only headliner, maybe she will end up sailing over the 9.5-song threshold. But I just don’t see this happening, as much as all the Rihanna fans at Colgate University might hate to hear that.

Martin: Rihanna’s Halftime Show First Song – Diamonds (+600)

“Diamonds” enters the odds as the third most likely song to be performed first by Rihanna, behind “Don’t Stop The Music” (+150) and “Run This Town” (+300). However, I think there are valid reasons to view “Diamonds” as the smarter pick than the two more favored options. “Don’t Stop The Music” seems like too much of a banger to be performed first— I imagine RiRi will save this hit until later in the show. Interestingly, “Don’t Stop The Music” also has the third highest odds to be performed as the last song — so I think the market for this song is inflated because everyone knows it as a classic hit. I also understand the rationale behind picking “Run This Town” as the first song, because it’s a slapper that seems more suited to easing in a crowd than “Don’t Stop The Music”. Still, when we consider that Jay-Z is the most likely guest appearance in the halftime show (-225), it seems unlikely that the first song would include a guest appearance. I think Rihanna is most likely to start solo with “Diamonds” to kick off her highly anticipated halftime show.