Super Bowl 2021 prop bets: Eight novelty specials for the NFL showpiece

What's the Super Bowl without prop bets? As the American Football world gears up for the National Football League showpiece, we've run the rule over some of the novelty offers available to punters. Whether you fancy a flutter on the length of the national anthem, the colour of the soda shower or who the MVP mentions first in his speech - we've got you covered.

READ MORE: Get our free Super Bowl tips for February 7.

Length of National Anthem?

Who doesn’t get pumped for a stirring rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner? Since Whitney Houston’s 1991 peformance, the anthem has become a Super Bowl pre-match staple. It’s also become the focus of a classic prop bet, with Paddy Power offering 10/11 on this year’s performance going past 118.5 seconds. The average length of each performance since Houston’s masterclass has been roughly 116 seconds, but recent history shows a trend for going well past the two-minute mark. Fancy Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan to buck that habit on Sunday? Jewel’s 1998 performace only lasted just 87 seconds.

• Under 118.5 seconds 4/5
• Over 118.5 seconds 10/11

First coach to be shown during the National Anthem?

It’s got to be one of the more random prop bets to bring in thousands of punters on Super Bowl week. Who will be on screen first after the first note is sounded, Andy Reid or Bruce Arians? There aren’t too many ways of reading into this one, but perhaps Andy Reid – being favourite to mastermind victory and the defending champion – is the safest bet.

• Bruce Arians 10/11
• Andy Reid 5/6

Opening kick-off returned for a Touchdown?

The Super Bowl has only ever seen 10 players return a kickoff for a touchdown, but only one person has managed to do that from the very opening sequence. In 2007, Devin Hester of Chicago Bears took it all 92 yards to the house to give the bears a 7-0 lead over eventual champions Indianapolis Colts. Hester is widely regarded as the best return specialist in NFL history, so the chances of a repeat are perhaps slim.

Yes 40/1

MVP?

Super Bowl LV pits Tom Brady against Patrick Mahomes in the battle of the quarterbacks as the elder statesman attempts to outwit the jewel in a generation of emerging superstars. Quarterbacks have won 30 of the 54 Super Bowl MVP awards (and four of the last seven), but in 2019 wide receiver Julian Edelman defied 20/1 odds to clinch the title. The MVP is decided by a combination of selected sports writers and a public vote, with the winner handed the Pete Rozelle Trophy.

• Patrick Mahomes 10/11
• Tom Brady 15/8
• Tyreek Hill 12/1
• Travis Kelce 13/1
• Leonard Fournette 25/1
• Mike Evans 25/1

Who will Super Bowl MVP mention first?

Mahomes became the youngest quarterback to be crowned Super Bowl MVP as Kansas City Chiefs sealed a comeback win over San Francisco 49ers last February. The 25-year-old is favourite to be named MVP once more after seven 300+ passing yard performances in his last 10 games. Last year, many bookmakers paid out on “team-mates” as the first to receive his gratitude, but Mahomes has also praised God at significant stageposts throughout his career.

• Team-mates Evens
• God/religion 5/2
• Opposite team 4/1
• Family 7/1
• Winning City 6/1
• Coaches 7/1

First song in the half-time show?

Candian artist The Weeknd will be granted the best part of 15 minutes to perform to a global television audience of around 160million. His worldwide smash hit Blinding Lights is favourite to be the curtain-raiser, with Can’t Feel My Face and Save your Tears also among the front-runners. Speculation surrounding a possible guest appearance from Daft Punk, who featured in I Feel It Coming and Star Boy, continues to whip fans into a frenzy, and that could promote either of those records to the front of the queue.

• Blinding Lights 2/1
• Save Your Tears 11/4
• Can’t Feel My Face 7/2
• Star Boy 7/2

Colour of the Gatorade?

Throw on some champions merch, make a confetti angel and dump a cooler full of Gatorade on your coach – it’s every Super Bowl winner’s prerogative. Only on four occassions since Super Bowl 35 has the winning coach avoided a soda shower from his players, with Orange the most popular colour in recent seasons (4/10). The Gatorade bath has twice been blue, while yellow and purple have each appeared once in the last 10 years.

• Clear/Water 4/1
• Purple 17/2
• Red/Pink 13/5
• Blue 5/1
• Orange 6/4
• Yellow/Green/Lime 4/1

Will Tom Brady Announce His Retirement?

We’ve lost count of the amount of records Tom Brady could set on Sunday night. The 43-year-old is preparing for his 10th appearance in the NFL showpiece and will beat his own record to become the oldest quarterback to start in Super Bowl history. However, he still has one year to run on his Tampa deal and doesn’t appear ready to hang up his cleats just yet. He recently hinted at playing past the age of 45, but he’s certainly surprised us before…

• Yes 4/1 (by end of press conference)