Sometimes figuring out the right side to bet on Super Bowl Sunday is a challenge since it is a matchup of the two best teams in the league. However, a lot of shrewd bettors find value in the betting props.
Although the Super Bowl features a matchup of two quality defenses, let’s take a closer look at a few of the offensive props on the board.
For the quarterbacks, a lot people understand that the Broncos’ success is contingent on Peyton Manning’s arm and what it can and can’t do.
One of the key props tied to him is his passing yards. The over-under is set at 235.5, but that could be a number that is too high for some; he’s failed to surpass that number in six of his 12 games this season and he wasn’t that close in both of his playoff games (222 and 176).
On top of that, the Broncos are committed to the run and there is the slight chance that Brock Osweiler gets in the game if the Broncos’ offense is ineffective.
However, if Manning does have time to set up and throw, he might be able to get the over. The Panthers have a banged up secondary outside of Pro Bowl cornerback Josh Norman that ranked 11th in the NFL this season. They’ve been masked by the strong play of the Panthers’ defensive line.
Looking at the running back props, a lot of people are examining the Panthers’ first-rush prop with Jonathan Stewart. His over-under for his first carry is 3.5 yards but the Broncos could be loading up the box looking to stop him.
The Broncos were the stingiest defense in the NFL in terms of yards-per-carry at 3.3. After Stewart busted loose a couple of times early in both the divisional and conference championship rounds, look for Denver to be ready to cut him off early.
At the same time, the Panthers are likely going to expect this, which means that they’ll probably be looking to take some deep shots early in the game to loosen up the defense.
They have speed at the wide receiver position and a big target at tight end with Greg Olsen, so one might consider going over on the ‘first reception yards’ props with some of their pass-catchers; Ted Ginn Jr. is at 13.5, Olsen is at 11.5 and Corey Brown is at 10.5.
Keep in mind that Brown’s first reception in the two playoff games have been 14 and 17 yards, while Olsen’s were 10 and 12 yards.