Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

sports betting:

Super Bowl prop bet report card: How Tarvaris Jackson’s Super Bowl cameo helped win bet

One writer lost his first prop bet 12 seconds into the game; others had action tied to UFC 169 and basketball games

Superbook Posts Bets For Super Bowl XLVIII

Steve Marcus

Super Bowl XLVIII proposition bets are posted on an electronic display board at the LVH Superbook on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014.

Super Bowl Post Game

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy as he celebrates after the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game against the Denver Broncos Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Seahawks won 43-8. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Launch slideshow »

Super Fans: Super Bowl XLVIII

Seahawks fan Stefanie Wittren of Seattle shows her spirit at Scooters Pub, 6200 S. Rainbow Blvd., Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014. Launch slideshow »

Super Bowl 48

Seattle Seahawks' Michael Robinson tries to get past Denver Broncos' Paris Lenon during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Launch slideshow »

Super Bowl 48 Second Half

Denver Broncos' Wes Welker (83) runs against Seattle Seahawks' Earl Thomas during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Launch slideshow »

While most of the world had little interest Sunday in the second half of Super Bowl 48, with the Seattle Seahawks holding a commanding lead, those with prop bets continued to follow the action closely.

A prop bet gives you action on literally every play, which is something witnessed in Super Bowl 48. The Sun’s three sports writers each took six prop bets — one wager lost on the first play from scrimmage; another was cashed with less than two minutes to play when the outcome was long decided.

We started with a fictitious $1,000 bankroll, and picks were published last week.

Case Keefer (2-4, lost $440) wagered $400 on the minus-800 bet of there being no safety. He lost within 12 seconds when a snap sailed over Peyton Manning’s head and into the end zone on the Denver Broncos' first play. Knowshon Moreno fell on the ball and was quickly touched by Seattle’s Cliff Avril for a safety, which cashed big tickets for some bettors — just not Keefer. A safety was plus-550, meaning gamblers won $550 for every $100 wagered.

I was more fortunate.

I bet $100 at plus-290 on there being more than 2.5 players to attempt a pass. With about two minutes remaining, Seattle backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson attempted a pass on a third down play, giving me a $290 winner. I went 4-2 and made $491, thanks largely to Jackson’s incomplete pass in garbage time with starter Russell Wilson preparing to dump Gatorade on coach Pete Carroll.

Here’s a look at the rest of our bets:

Ray Brewer (4-2, won $491):

• Cashed on taking Peyton Manning to have more passing yards than the total final score of two Big Ten Conference basketball games combined. Sunday’s Purdue-Penn State game combined for 147 points and Indiana-Michigan combined for 115 points, for a total of 262. Manning passed for 280 yards, giving me a $300 winner on a $330 wager at minus-110.

• Cashed on Seattle punter Jon Ryan’s shortest punt being over 33.5 yards. He punted just once in the blowout, and it went 45 yards. It was a $200 wager to win $220 on plus-110.

• Cashed on the number of players to have a passing attempt over 2.5. Tarvaris Jackson got a nice Super Bowl moment with a late pass attempt; I cashed a plus-290 wager with a $100 bet to win $290.

• Cashed on longest pass completion by Russell Wilson under 38.5 yards. His longest pass went 37 yards to Doug Baldwin. It was a $120 wager to win $109.

• Lost $100 on a plus-170 bet on whether kickers Matt Prater of Denver and Steven Hauschka of Seattle would each make field goals of more than 33.5 yards. Hauschka had two field goals, but the longest was 33 yards. Prater didn’t attempt a field goal.

• Lost $150 on a plus-150 wager on the amount of kickoff returns. I played under six returns. There were seven thanks to the frequent Seattle scoring.

Taylor Bern (3-3, lost $300):

• Cashed on alternative point spread, taking Seattle minus-3.5 points at plus-190: Won $190 on a $100 bet.

• Cashed on number of receptions by Seattle Marshawn Lynch under 1.5 at plus-120. Lynch had no catches. Won $180 on a $150 bet.

• Cashed on if Peyton Manning would throw a third-quarter touchdown, which happened on the last play of the quarter. $200 to win $330.

• Lost $200 on a similar wager — will Manning throw a first-quarter touchdown?

• Lost $150 on Denver’s Julius Thomas scoring the first touchdown. Marshawn Lynch’s first-quarter scoring run was the initial touchdown.

• Lost a cross-sport prop on Kevin Durant points Saturday against the Washington Wizard vs. Peyton Manning pass attempts. Bern took Durant at plus-7.5 points for $100 to win $90. Durant scored 26 points, but Manning attempted 48 passes.

Case Keefer (2-4, lost $440):

• Cashed on no interception by Seattle’s Richard Sherman at minus-250. A $250 wager to win $100.

• Lost on no safety at minus-800 for $400.

• Lost on total number of rushing yards by Russell Wilson over 30.5 at minus-110 for $110. Wilson had three carries for 26.

• Lost on margin of victory by Seahawks of 5 to 8 points at 13-to-2. It was a $30 wager that would have paid $195.

• Lost a multi-sport prop, taking the total rounds over from Saturday’s UFC 169 main event between Renan Barao and Urijah Faber against the number of catches by Denver’s Julius Thomas. Barao won in the first round and Thomas had four receptions.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21.

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