The US has a long, storied history with sports betting dating as far back as the 1600s. However, it was not until the mid-20th century that we started to see a large public interest in the pastime. This did of course come at a price, and organized crime had a stranglehold on the industry for decades.
It was around this time that we first saw legislation passed that would halt the activity of organised crime rings in the world of gambling. In 1992, we finally saw a federal ruling that severely altered the legality of sports betting. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) made it unlawful for a State or its subdivisions “to sponsor, operate, advertise, promote, license, or authorize by law or compact… a lottery, sweepstakes, or other betting, gambling, or wagering scheme based… on” competitive sporting events.
The NFL have uniformly been behind the US government in their bids to make sports betting more difficult. They sponsored the 1964 Bribery Act and have also handed out heavy bans to people within the league who have been caught betting on the sport. However, after decades of looking down on sports betting, the tide looked to be turning when in 2016 they moved the Oakland Raiders to the gambling haven that is Las Vegas. This signified their attitude towards gambling being relaxed.
For over a quarter of a century PASPA placed restrictive laws on all sports betting, right up until 2018. It was at this time that the supreme court struck down that federal bam allowing states to legalize as they wish. Four years on we now have over 30 states where some form of sports betting is legal with plenty more expected to follow suit in the next couple of years.
This has created thousands of jobs and pumped billions of dollars into the economy. On top of that millions of Americans are now able to bet on some of the most exciting leagues in the world.
Prop bets have been one of the most popular bets to make for sports fans in the US. With these you can bet on, for example, the number of rebounds Jokic will make in a game, who will score the first touchdown in a game or even who will win the coin toss.
NFL Prop bets are available with most all sportsbooks, there are two main kinds of bets: game props and player props. Let’s look at some examples.
Player Props
These bets are based on outcomes or stats related to players in a game. For example, you think Tyreek Hill will have over 7.5 receptions or that Aaron Rodgers will pass for over 300 yards. These are even more exciting during big games like the playoffs and in the Super Bowl where there is usually a huge list of player props to choose from
Game Props
Game props are based on outcomes related to a team in the game. For example, the first team to reach 10+ points, the first team to score and the longest reception in the game. These bets are also big in the Super Bowl where again the list to choose from is huge.
You also get novelty props which will usually be reserved only for championship games. These can be anything from who will win the coin toss to which colour the Gatorade bath will be.
Another way to up the stakes of prop bets are through the use of same game parlays. Same game parlays are bets made up of multiple markets in a single game. For example, you could have an SGP for a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Arizona Cardinals made up of:
- Mike Evans under 55+ receiving yards
- Cardinals to score points first
- Darrel Williams over 69.5+ rushing yards
- Bucs to reach 10+ points first
SGPs can be hard to win as you need the outcome of ever single prop to be successful for the bet to win. This results in higher odds with a higher payout if it wins compared to single bets. They can add incredible excitement to games as you go through the peaks and troughs of both teams, counting every single yard and reception on your way to a winning wager.
Hopefully this guide has taught you more about prop bets and the sheer level of excitement they can add to games. They are amongst some of the most popular bets in sports betting for a reason and with the added use of SGPs, can take your gameday from 10 to 100. Always bet responsibly and have fun whilst you pick your favourite props as we approach nearer the start of the 2023 season!
