Super Bowl XLV Prop Bets Review

            You read all sorts of columns before games or seasons where people offer their predictions, but how many of them actually look back to see how they did? ESPN’s Matthew Berry is one that I can think of off the top of my head, but there aren’t many others that do. I am here today to expose all of my pre-game predictions on prop bets, and show the world how terribly wrong they were.  

Will Either Team Score in the First 6 ½ Minutes of the Game? WIN

            Green Bay put this bet in great peril when Tramon Williams botched a punt, but fortunately the Packers recovered. Winnings = $100

 Longest Touchdown of the Game Over/Under 44.5 Yards LOSS
            If Roethlisberger didn’t overthrow Mike Wallace by 5 yards in the 3^rd quarter, we would’ve had ourselves a 50-yard touchdown and a win on this bet. Winnings = -$115 (Currently down $15)

Total Sacks For Both Teams Over/Under 5 LOSS
            Somehow, Pittsburgh held Green Bay to only one sack. We came up one sack short on this one. Winnings = -$125 (Now down $135. Uh oh)

Largest Lead of the Game Over/Under 13.5 Points LOSS
            If Roethlisberger’s arm doesn’t get hit, and that ball didn’t flutter into the arms of Packers safety Nick Collins, we would’ve won this bet. You’ll notice a theme of me making excuses for each bet that I would’ve lost on. Winnings = -$100 (now down $235)

Total Number of Players to Have a Pass Attempt Over/Under 2.5 LOSS
            I felt pretty excited when Roethlisberger started limping after he slipped in the first quarter, and then they showed Byron Leftwich warming up on the bench. I deserved to lose this one. Winnings = -$100 (now we are down $335 and in need of some good news)

Roethlisberger Over/Under 11.5 Yards Rushing WIN
            Roethlisberger lumbered for 18 yards in the first quarter, and then added 13 more for good measure. Winnings = $100 (still down $235)

Emmanuel Sanders Over/Under 38.5 Yards Receiving LOSS
            We were well on our way to a victory here after Sanders had 17 yards in the first quarter, but then he slammed his knee of the concrete, I mean, turf at Cowboys Stadium, and missed the rest of the game. Damn. Winnings = -$115 (now back down $350)

 Heath Miller Over/Under 38.5 Yards Receiving LOSS
            I got even more mad about this bet after the game when they showed multiple plays on Sportscenter where Miller was wide open, but Big Ben didn’t get him the ball. Miller only ended up with 12 yards. Winnings = -$125 (really hurting now, down $475)

Aaron Rodgers Over/Under 22.5 Pass Completions WIN
            Rodgers would’ve blown this number out of the water if it weren’t for a bunch of drops by his receivers. He ended up with 24 completions. Winnings = $100 (-$375)

Brandon Jackson Over/Under 13.5 Yards Receiving WIN
            All right, a winning streak. Jackson caught one pass for 14 yards, covering this bet by half a yard. In other words, he “Milton Berled” this prop (he pulled out just enough to win). Winnings = $100 (still hurting at -$275)

Donald Driver Longest Reception Over/Under 15.5 Yards WIN
            Driver was nice enough to bust a seam route for 24 yards before he snapped his ankle into six pieces. Winnings = $100 (down $175)

Mason Crosby Over/Under 1.5 Field Goals Made LOSS
            Remember when I said Green Bay would have a hard time scoring in the red zone? Needless to say, they didn’t. Winnings = -$100 (down $275, this is the last time I bet on a damn kicker)

Who Will Have More, Alex Ovechkin Shots on Goal or Steelers/Packers Combined Sacks? (Steelers/Packers favored by 0.5) WIN
            I didn’t follow much of the hockey game Sunday, so I was sure I lost this bet when there were only four sacks in the Super Bowl. Thankfully, Ovechkin only mustered three shots on goal. Anyone who bet this was very fortunate. Winnings = $100 (-$175 again)

Who Will Have More, Dwight Howard Points + Rebounds or Aaron Rodgers Pass Attempts? (Rodgers is favored by 1.5) LOSS
            Howard destroyed the Celtics in the first half on Sunday. I was real confident about this bet, but taking Rodgers just didn’t work out. Winnings = -$115 (Now down $290)

 What Will Be Greater, Jason Richardson’s Total Points or Margin of Victory in Super Bowl XLV? (Richardson favored by 4.5) LOSS
            Richardson needed to score 11 points to cover the 4.5 spread against the margin of victory (which ended up being 6). Naturally, he scored 10. I officially hate prop bets. Winnings = -$125 (now down $415 and thinking about which local convenience store to rob)

Who Will Have More, Steven Stamkos Total Points or Aaron Rodgers Touchdown Passes? (Rodgers is a 0.5 favorite) LOSS
            All the research I did to decide on choosing Rodgers went out the window when Steven Stamkos threw up a goal and three assists against St. Louis. Winnings = -$100 (now we’re down $515)

Will Christina Aguilera Hold The Final Note of the Star Spangled Banner Longer Than Six Seconds? WIN
            Perhaps she felt bad for butchering the middle of the song, because Aguilera held the final not for well over 10 seconds. Winnings = $100 (rallying back to only down $415)

Will Jerry Jones Be Shown on Television Over/Under Three Times? LOSS
            They showed plenty of footage of people sitting in his private luxury box (George W. Bush, John Madden, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta Jones, Jesse Jackson), but Jerry only made it on live TV once. Bummer. Winnings = -$100 (now down $515 again, things aren’t looking good)

TV Rating For Super Bowl Over/Under 46 Nielsen Rating WIN
            Super Bowl XLV was the most watched television program in the history of television. With the record viewer-ship of NFL games all season long, and the presence of two of the most popular franchises, this bet was a mortal lock. Winnings = $100

            So after all of those bets, I would’ve been down $415 if I had wagered real money. With as poorly as I knew my cross-sports bets were going, I’ll take it. Next year I think I’ll set it up so I have a fake budget of $100,000, because I know I would’ve banked half of that on whether Aguilera held the longest note for more than six seconds. I’m very content to not talk about prop bets for the next 358 days or so.