Super Bowl 2016: Opening Odds for Panthers vs. Broncos, Top Prop Bets History

Some look at the 2016 Super Bowl between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos and see a historic encounter between Cam Newton and Peyton Manning.

Others look at the event and see an incredible way to end the football season, a final shot at making some serious coin before shutting things down until next season or using the hard-earned bankroll to keep gunning away at other sports.

It's the perfect tightrope for bettors to walk ahead of the perfect matchup. Not only are both teams' quarterbacks on fire, defensive superstars like Josh Norman and Von Miller pose the perfect counter.

Here's everything to know about the game so far, including early lines and a review of the top prop bets in years past.

Game Details

When: Sunday, February 7, at 6:30 p.m. ET

Where: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Television: CBS

Over/Under: 45

Spread: Carolina (-4.5)

Top Prop Bets History

It's been a wild season. Manning got benched. Carson Palmer won a playoff game. A team moved. The Jacksonville Jaguars almost made the playoffs.

The insanity will surely translate to the realm of prop bets because—surprise—there's already controversy surrounding the game's officiating crew.

To be more specific, Clete Blakeman, the referee who messed up the overtime coin toss between the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers in the divisional round, will be the head official in the big game.

The coin didn't flip. Big deal, right? Flip it again until it flips enough, and when the official deems there has been enough flips—bettors see the problem.

Folks such as Joe Fortenbaugh of 95.7 The Game have already joked about the situation:

In all seriousness, though, prop bets are huge business. Huge business. Folks who wouldn't normally bet do so both to increase the enjoyment of the game and because the lines can be as simple as betting on a coin toss.

Last year, according to Odds Shark, folks got the usual lines, like what score would start the game, how long the national anthem would take and how long the halftime show would be. Funny things such as if Marshawn Lynch would receive a fine from the league and what color Bill Belichick's hoodie would be helped get everyone involved.

Based on that large list, it's not hard to see what will come with the coin toss and national anthem bets. Las Vegas will want to know how many footballs Newton hands to little kids in the stands after scoring, how many commercials Manning appears in and how many times he screams Omaha at the line of scrimmage.

Las Vegas getting creative like so based on prop-bet history means good things for bettors.

Opening Odds Breakdown

This line might increase in a hurry, folks.

What Manning and the Broncos have accomplished is impressive, and that's saying the least. Manning returned in Week 17 and looked healthy, only to catch the New England Patriots off guard in the AFC Championship Game by going 17-of-32 with 176 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

More importantly, though, Miller and the defense sacked Tom Brady four times, picked him off twice and held rushers in check to the point Brady was New England's leading rusher with 13 yards, and everyone totaled 2.6 yards per carry on the ground.

Impressive, but Carolina isn't a stranger to fielding an elite defense, too, as ESPN Stats & Info helped illustrate:

To be more specific, the Panthers rank first in the NFL at a plus-20 turnover differential, and it's not hard to see why, not with Norman locking down No. 1 receivers, Luke Kuechly flying all over the field and Kawann Short (11 sacks) terrorizing quarterbacks.

If what Denver accomplished against New England was impressive, there isn't really a word for what the Panthers did to the Cardinals on Sunday evening. Newton and Co. erupted in a 49-15 laugher where the Carolina defense picked off Palmer four times and tallied three sacks. Newton, after totaling 45 touchdowns in the regular season, totaled four more against the elite Arizona defense.

Folks can see a passing-of-the-torch moment beginning to emerge.

"Playing the sheriff," Newton said, according to ESPN.com. "We're going to live in the moment right now. We're going to be excited."

It's not hard to see why Carolina's favored. Manning, though solid, missed some throws in the title game and leaned on a strong defense to get a win. Said defense teed off on a quarterback who can't break free of rushers as often as Newton does. Newton, after dissecting an elite defense to get to the big game, won't let Miller and Co. pin him in the pocket. 

When the Broncos fall behind against the Carolina defense, it will be up to Manning to make the tough reads and throws while under pressure. It's not as easy as it sounds, as this past weekend showed. 

This last weekend also showed there's no slowing Newton down. He won't blink under the pressure, and the torch will be his as the Panthers pull away in the second half behind his dual-threat capabilities that neutralize the Denver defense.

Prediction: Panthers 28, Broncos 20

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of January 25. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus. All betting information courtesy of Odds Shark.