Super Bowl Prop Bets 2018: Box Score Game Odds and Score Prediction

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has cleared the 400-yard passing mark once in his seven previous trips to the Super Bowl.

But gamblers who think Brady or Philadelphia Eagles counterpart Nick Foles are headed toward 400-plus-yard performances Sunday can get favorable odds for that hunch—plus-300 (wager $100 to win $300) for a yes bet and minus-500 for a no, per OddsShark.

That's just one of the many statistical betting scenarios on the table for the spectacle that is the NFL's championship clash. From the traditional MVP odds (Tom Brady is the heavy favorite at minus-110) to the less predictable possibility of a flea flicker (yes holds plus-150 odds), the abundance of wagering options makes this contest a risk-taker's paradise.

Several prop bets are examined below, along with notes on the box score game and a quick score prediction.

Prop Bets

Total Team Points

• Philadelphia Eagles over 21 (minus-130), under 21 (even)
• New England Patriots over 27 (minus-135), under 27 (plus-105)

The Patriots and Eagles respectively ranked second and third in points per game during the regular season. They both averaged 28.6, but New England held the total point edge by one (458-457).

They were also side-by-side in defensive scoring, with the Eagles (18.4) edging out the Pats (18.5) for fourth place. Philly has trimmed that number to a meager 8.5 in the postseason, but New England has cuts its down as well (17.0).

So why are the Pats expected to put up more points? Because they employ Brady. Foles is a fine quarterback—no less than a season savior for the Eagles—but he's passed for 9,752 yards in his career. Brady has thrown for 12,904 in the past three years and an astonishing 66,159 over his 18 NFL seasons.

With tight end Rob Gronkowski cleared from concussion protocol, Brady has his red-zone touchdown leader available (seven, tied for fifth-most, per Pro-Football Reference). But Foles has some lethal close-range options of his own in tight end Zach Ertz and wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who each corralled eight red-zone scoring strikes.

"We have a lot of good players on offense," Ertz said, per Mike Jensen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Any time we're able to protect the quarterback, which our O-line typically does, we're going to be successful."

Which Team Will Score Last in the Game?

• Philadelphia Eagles plus-110
• New England Patriots minus-140

The Pats are the overall favorites (by 4.5 points), so it makes sense they would be favored to have the last score as well.

As the category suggests, this won't be decided until late. Over New England's past seven trips to the Super Bowl, only one of the last scores came outside of the game's final two minutes—and that was a four-yard touchdown reception by Pats wideout Julian Edelman with 2:02 remaining to decide Super Bowl XLIX.

History offers little help here. During Brady's seven Super Bowls, the Patriots have made the final score four times. But one of the opponents to strike last were the Eagles, getting a 30-yard touchdown pass from Donovan McNabb to Greg Lewis with 1:48 left in Super Bowl XXXIX.

New England still held on for a 24-21 triumph, but Philly backers at least claimed a small victory with this wager.

The Box Score Game

Need another reason to watch the Super Bowl beyond the game, musical entertainment and commercials? The box score game might be worth consideration.

The concept is straightforward. There is a board of 100 squares, featuring 10 even rows and 10 even columns (check FootballSquares.net for an example). One team is assigned to the rows; one gets the columns. Both are randomly populated with numbers zero through nine.

The goal is to pick the last number of the score that ends each quarter and the game. For instance, if you're predicting a 24-20 Patriots win, you would want the four for New England and the zero for Philadelphia. Smaller prizes are typically awarded for the first three periods, with the grand prize going to the correct final score prediction.

The key to putting the odds in your favor—outside of keeping a lucky charm on your person—is not overthinking things. Remember, touchdowns are worth seven points. History says to grab seven and its multiples. The most common digit in Super Bowl box score games is seven (18.63 percent). The next to hit are four (14.71) and one (13.73).

Zero comes in fourth (12.75), which makes sense when the same number of touchdowns and field goals will result in a multiple of 10. Multiples of three take up the next three spots, with six coming in fifth (9.80) and three and nine sharing the sixth spot (7.84).

And unless you like living on the edge, avoid five (4.90) and two (3.92) altogether.

Score Prediction

The Eagles have never won a Super Bowl. The Patriots are looking to tie the Pittsburgh Steelers' record of six Super Bowl triumphs, all of which have come during the Brady-Bill Belichick era.

There's no comfortable way to pick against New England. Not even if Philadelphia boasts the type of defensive talent needed to pressure Brady without sending extra help—basically the blueprint the New York Giants followed to record their two upset victories.

Pencil in the Patriots for a 27-20 victory, and double down with "seven" and "zero" selections in the box score game.