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From 'Tayvis' getting engaged to Kendrick Lamar's setlist, some of the most popular wagers this week have nothing to do with the football game itself
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There will be more than just a championship trophy on the line at Sunday’s Super Bowl: bettors are hoping for a big payday as they place wagers on everything from the length of Jon Batiste’s national anthem performance, to whether Travis Kelce will propose to Taylor Swift.
Per BetMGM, the popular online sportsbook and casino, some of the most popular wagers this week have nothing to do with the outcome of the Chiefs vs. Eagles game itself. In fact, the site says fans have started placing a number of music-related bets online.
“Betting on the National Anthem has been something of Super Bowl lore for a long time,” says BetMGM Trading Manager Christian Cipollini. “When sports betting was legalized and BetMGM was able to offer it as a market in Ontario, we immediately saw a lot of interest in it.”
The reason: “It is a favorite among football fans because it’s very easy to understand,” Cipollini explains, “and it’s a way to get in on the action before the game even begins. We see the same popularity for the coin flip results as well.”
Per BetMGM, 120.5 seconds is where current bets are landing for how long Batiste’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” will run for. Approximately 63% of players are betting that he’ll add a few ad-libs or glory notes to take the anthem over that duration.
There are other non-football related bets being offered this weekend, including which song Kendrick Lamar will open his Halftime Show with. Recent Grammy “Record of the Year” winner “Not Like Us” has received the most bets (as of this writing) to be the first song performed during halftime. Per BetMGM, it would pay out +375 if it is indeed how Lamar decides to kickoff his highly-anticipated performance. Other potential Halftime Show openers with good odds are “Humble,” “King Kunta” and “Squabble Up.”
And then there’s the Taylor effect. “There is no doubt that Taylor Swift’s impact on football extended into the sports betting world,” Cipollini tells Rolling Stone, citing internal stats that show action on Chiefs games growing over the past two seasons. Of course, a large part of the growth is due to Kansas City’s continued success on the field, but Cipollini says “Swift’s cultural impact on football definitely drove a demand for more related options we can offer on the sports betting side as well.”
For Super Bowl LIX, players on BetMGM are hedging their bets on Kelce popping the question to Swift. “We are seeing an interesting split on action for the proposal,” Cipollini says. “85% of the bets are on the ‘Yes’ for Travis to propose to Taylor, which would pay out 8:1. So we have the majority of people rooting for the romantic made-for-TV moment. However,” he notes, “95% of the money is coming in on ‘no proposal,’ which means the big bucks are betting against it.”
Swift is expected to be in attendance at Super Bowl LIX this Sunday, as Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles live from New Orleans. You can watch the Super Bowl online free with a free trial to DirecTV Stream here.
As for the actual football game? The Chiefs are currently favored to win over Philadelphia on Sunday. That would mark Kansas City’s third consecutive title. You can see full Super Bowl odds and current wagers online at BetMGM.com.
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