Super Bowl 2017: Prop-Bet Favorites, Point Spread for Patriots vs. Falcons

A promised aerial show brings with it one of the more interesting betting situations at the 2017 Super Bowl.

The odds out of Las Vegas have been reserved in recent years thanks to defensive teams such as the Denver Broncos making it to the NFL's final game.

Not this year.

The gloves are off when Tom Brady's New England Patriots collide with Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons. Oddsmakers have left little room for a defensive showcase, trotting out a huge over-under and some intriguing prop odds.

First, the basics:

Date	Location	Time	TV	Point Spread	Over/Under	Prediction
Feb. 5	NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas	6:30 p.m. ET	Fox	NE -3	58.5	Patriots

Start with the entertainment first.

As always, even casual bettors can get in on the action this year thanks to a national anthem belted by country star Luke Bryan and quite the unpredictable halftime show put on by Lady Gaga.

According to OddsShark's Justin Hartling, bettors can throw down cash on Lady Gaga's hair color, what she'll wear, if she'll expose her midriff and so much more—including whether she will have a wardrobe malfunction (thanks, Justin).

The favorite for hair color? Blonde (-300). What she'll wear gets a little crazy, with candidates such as wings (+500) and an ”I Voted Hillary” T-shirt (+2,500) raising some eyebrows. A woman of many outfits, the over-under for wardrobe changes sits at two. As far as surprise guest performers go, everyone from Kendrick Lamar (+330) to Elton John (+800) to even Ted Nugent (+5,000) is on the list.

According to Oli Coleman of New York Post's Page Six, Lady Gaga has floated the idea of performing on the roof of NRG Stadium, so bettors will have some fun with this one while possibly padding their pockets.

The over-under on Bryan's national anthem sits at two minutes, 15 seconds, according to Hartling's colleague, Rob Trites. His forgetting a word comes in at a resounding "no" bet of minus-700.

For those who want to bet on the game itself, don't feel left out.

Over at the master prop odds page provided by OddsShark's Joe Osborne, bettors can have at it when it comes to the team that scores first, the player to score the first touchdown (Atlanta's Julio Jones leads at plus-750) and the winning margin of victory. Individual position props are still rolling in as of this writing.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Perhaps the most appealing line is the color of the Gatorade shower doused on the winning coach. The clear/water tandem leads the way at plus-300, tied with a few other colors. Purple is the long shot at plus-1,000 (sorry, Vikings fans).

Kidding.

The most intriguing is the outlook for Super Bowl MVP. This prop is always the land of extreme value. Brady leads the way at plus-160, which isn't hard to understand after he threw 28 touchdowns against two interceptions during the regular season over just 12 games after serving a four-game suspension.

Matt Ryan is the next closest at plus-275 after a strong season and casually throwing seven touchdowns and no interceptions over two playoff games.

Quarterbacks have won 27 Super Bowl MVP awards, though bettors shouldn't forget about Denver's Von Miller last year—his landing the individual hardware should reinforce the idea that gambling on an underdog could pay out in droves.

Why not slap some coin on Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount at plus-2,000? The veteran quietly rumbled for 1,161 yards and a career-high 18 touchdowns this year. He's bound to be a big part of the game plan if the Patriots want to keep Ryan off the field.

Blount's counterpart, Devonta Freeman, isn't the worst gamble at plus-2,500. He rushed for 1,079 yards and 11 scores while also catching 54 passes. It takes only a few big plays from a versatile back to reel in the award in a shootout.

Ryan's top target, Jones, doesn't have the most appealing odds at plus-750. But a wideout who went for 1,409 yards and six scores and has scored three touchdowns this postseason—including two in the NFC Championship Game—is a relatively safe bet.

As far as legitimate long shots who could pull in the award, keep a close eye on New England tight end Martellus Bennett. A plus-5,000 line is a huge payout, and the veteran is the Rob Gronkowski of the offense after scoring a career-high seven touchdowns this year. If Atlanta can't match up to him, a multiple-touchdown game creates an interesting MVP situation.

Las Vegas is once again putting the two-week buildup to good use here by giving casual and hardcore bettors countless lines to pursue. Just one element of a much bigger picture, the odds make the game that much more interesting.

Researching the odds isn't a bad thing, something this year trumpets loud and clear. Happy betting, sports fans.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All betting information courtesy of OddsShark. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.