Eagles vs. Patriots: Super Bowl 52 Game Time, Prop Odds and Prediction

Before the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles fight for the NFL's most prestigious prize Sunday, invested onlookers will anxiously wait to see a singer's hair color.

The Super Bowl is a national circus with stakes and rooting interest beyond each snap. Commercials, the halftime show and prop bets matter more to some onlookers than which team earns the Lombardi Trophy.

As OddsShark's Stephen Campbell shared, Las Vegas has crafted at least six exotic wagers regarding Pink's national anthem performance. Will she get the words right? Will she express her Eagles fandom? And what color hair will she sport?

One would guess Pink likes pink, but perhaps the Pennsylvanian honors the NFC champion's color scheme.

Every microscopic details will matter to someone Sunday night. Let's run through some prop oddities before projecting the actual game.

Super Bowl LII

Date: Sunday, Feb. 4

Kickoff Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

Location: U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis

TV: NBC

Prop Odds

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

There's a betting line on everything. From the national anthem to the coin toss—yes, an event with two equally likely outcomes is open to wagers—a gambler can monetize any infinitesimal moment from Super Bowl LII.

There's even a betting line about Al Michaels mentioning betting lines during NBC's broadcast. Given the contest's magnitude, the veteran announcer will probably stay away from discussing spreads, barring a notable back-door cover. Then again, he may want to mess with bookmakers again.

Don't forget about the halftime show. OddsShark lists four prop bets regarding Justin Timberlake's intermission performance. This includes the color of his shoes—white is favored—and whether the pop star will wear a hat.

The oddsmakers also wonder whether Timberlake will welcome his former NSYNC comrades to the stage. He acknowledged the rumors and Vegas prop bets during a press conference, per the Associated Press (via Page Six), and he emphatically rejected a boy-band reunion. It appears anyone who takes the "yes" on that wager would be saying "Bye Bye Bye" to money.

Another prop asks whether he will cover a Prince song. That's more plausible, as Timberlake expressed his admiration of the late Minnesota icon during the same media session.

"He's a huge influence on me," Timberlake said. "The time that I got to spend around him, with him, talking about music—those are memories that I will take with me forever because he's always been such a big idol of mine."

Yet a tribute may come in another fashion. According to TMZ, the halftime show will feature a Prince hologram. That could force oddsmakers to decide a bizarre technicality if Timberlake stands next to a reproduced image of the rock star as "Purple Rain" blares through the speakers.

Let's not ignore the plentiful props pertaining to the Patriots and Eagles. New England is favored by 4.5 points, naturally making quarterback Tom Brady a runaway front-runner (4-5) to take home his fifth Super Bowl MVP award.

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A quarterback has received the honor 12 of the past 19 games, so Nick Foles at 13-4 odds merits a look for anyone liking Philadelphia's chances. If he carves up the season's third-worst passing defense to ensure an upset, MVP voters wouldn't be able to resist honoring his improbable path to glory.

The Patriots allowed 253.3 passing yards per game during the season before relinquishing 254 to Marcus Mariota and 293 to Blake Bortles, so Foles—who tallied 598 passing yards in two playoff wins—is at least likely to clear the over/under line of 235.5 yards.

That mark is especially attainable if he sustains his postseason accuracy. As ESPN Stats & Info highlighted, the former understudy set an efficiency clip matched only by a four-time Super Bowl champion:

Vegas expects a big game from New England tight end Rob Gronkowski, who told reporters Thursday he had cleared concussion protocol and is "ready to roll." He's the favorite to score a touchdown, with his over/under receiving yards line set at 75.5. 

There's better value elsewhere. Per Yahoo Sports, the Eagles relinquished as many receiving touchdowns to running backs as tight ends (five) during the regular season before allowing one each to Devonta Freeman and Kyle Rudolph in the playoffs.

After seeing his role diminished in 2017, James White scored three touchdowns on seven carries and catches apiece against the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. While he won't match last year's 139-yard, three-touchdown breakout, the versatile running back is a strong candidate to exceed modest lines of 3.5 catches and 24.5 receiving yards.

Don't expect a shootout to unfold in Minnesota. For all of New England's defensive deficiencies, it has yielded just 14.4 points per game after Week 4. Philadelphia, who ended the season fourth in points and yards allowed, should avoid allowing a crooked number behind its elite rushing defense and pass-pressure unit.

Take the under on the game's 48.5-point line, and don't be surprised if the Eagles cover. Yet Brady will muster enough offense, and Foles won't have another Hall of Fame-worthy performance against a Patriots squad given two weeks to prepare.

Look for the Patriots to once again escape on the right side of a tight finish.

Prediction: Patriots 23, Eagles 20