By Ashley Marsh
January 31st, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Super Bowl LVII is approaching quickly. The NFL’s championship game will be played on Sunday, February 12, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona at State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals. It will be the first time since 2020 that a home team won’t be contending for the Super Bowl title at their own stadium.
For many Canadians in the Burlington area, the event will be a big one for a few reasons. While the annual Super Bowl regularly draws in over 100 million spectators, this year might see more viewers tune in thanks to the availability of sports betting. Ontario recently launched its online markets, which means that fans who normally stick to the CFL might explore the US’s league.
This season’s Super Bowl odds have revolved around a few favourites in the last two months. These include the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs. While the Bills have experienced another crushing postseason defeat, the Chiefs look ready to compete for another Lombardi Trophy.
They’re favourites with odds of +235 to take home the title, but not all fans are following Super Bowl moneylines. Instead, they’re focused on other bets that don’t concern the game’s outcome. These have proved especially popular with CFL fans who don’t feel strong loyalty toward a particular NFL team and who instead just want to enjoy the big game.
Below are some key examples of novel non-sporting bets that are proving popular in the run up to the event.
Rihanna will take the stage.
Halftime Performance by Rihanna
Philadelphia Eagles
The biggest market for non-sporting events for the Super Bowl is the halftime show—and that’s because the NFL goes to lengths to weave arts into its offerings. The halftime show is one of the most coveted performances in the world, and one that leads musical stars to pay their own money to produce and perform. This year, Rihanna will take the stage—and it’s a big deal, as the recent mother hasn’t performed live since 2019. She also swore to boycott the Super Bowl in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick in the past.
The Queen of Pop is back however—and she’s commanding attention from sportsbooks. If you’re a fan of Rihanna, then consider predicting which song she’ll perform first and last. You can also wager on other outcomes, like what sort of outfit Rihanna will wear, whether she’ll descend from the sky, and whether she’ll bring on a guest performer.
National Anthem by Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton is a country music star who will be performing the National Anthem—another highly coveted Super Bowl act. He’ll be joined by Babyface, who will sing ‘America the Beautiful’ and Sheryll Lee Ralph, who will sing ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’.
Kansas City Chiefs
If you’ve got a gut instinct about how one of these vocal performances will go down, then you can wager on it. Most of the bets will focus around Stapleton, as the National Anthem is the main focus before the game kicks off. You can wager on things like what Stapleton will wear and how long the song will run for.
Commercials from Leading Brands
Vocal and musical performances aside, the Super Bowl is also one of the most important games for major brands and their advertising efforts. Each year, some of the US’s most popular brands pour their resources into creating the most memorable and catchy ads. Some seek to pull at viewers’ heartstrings, while others are looking for laughs.
If you’re a fan of cinematic ads, then dive into markets on halftime commercials. They cover a variety of outcomes, like which brands will be shown first, whether companies will include the same characters or songs in their commercials, and even how many dogs will appear in commercials this year.
A Speech from the Winners
One of the zaniest types of prop bets offered on the Super Bowl covers the speeches made by winners after the game. These speeches often come from the game’s official MVP and unofficial MVPs alike—and you can wager on what these players will say and in what order. For example, one prop bet covers the question of who the MVP will thank first—his team and teammates, his city and fans, his family, or his coach?
