Don’t Bet The Super Bowl Anthem Prop Until You Read This

• Depending on which sportsbook you choose, the Super Bowl National Anthem bet for how long Jon Batiste will take to perform differs by wording.

NEW ORLEANS – Super Bowl prop bets are some of the wildest and most entertaining wagers of the year, and the National Anthem time bet is a fan favorite. This year, Jon Batiste is set to perform the anthem, and legal online sportsbooks have set the projected length at 120.5 seconds.

But NFL sportsbooks have the odds set slightly differently.

Read The Betting Rules

But before you lock in your bet, you must check the terms and conditions of your legal Super Bowl sportsbook—because the same bet can have drastically different rules.

Both Bovada and BetOnline offer the National Anthem length prop, but their definitions of what counts toward the time are completely different:

• Bovada’s Rule: The time is counted from the first word spoken to the last note played (including instruments).

• BetOnline’s Rule: The time is counted based on words sung only—instrumentals do not matter.

This may seem like a minor detail, but it can dramatically change your bet’s outcome.

Betting the Over Vs Betting The Under

Bovada is the clear choice if betting the Super Bowl National Anthem over. Not only does it have cheaper odds (-125 vs. -130), but it also includes the last note played—which could extend the anthem’s length significantly.

If Batiste holds a long final note or plays an extended instrumental outro (which could last 20-30 seconds or more), Bovada’s over has a much better chance of cashing. Keep in mind that “The Star-Spangled Banner” has four verses. And while only the first verse is generally performed, Batiste could “play through” the remaining verses on the piano.

Betting the under is where things get tricky. At Bovada, you could get burned by this long instrumental finish.

At BetOnline, however, only sung words count, meaning you’re safe if Batiste stretches the music but stops singing early. While the under at BetOnline comes at slightly worse odds (-110 vs. -105 at Bovada), the difference is negligible in a bet like this while removing the risk of an instrumental outro, making it the smarter play.

Final Thoughts

This is a classic example of why reading the terms of your legal sports bet is just as important as analyzing the odds. Even though both books have the same 120.5-second line, their rules make them two completely different bets.

If you’re searching for this bet on FanDuel or DraftKings, you won’t find it. That’s because gaming agencies in states with legal sports betting restrict sportsbooks from offering novelty props like the National Anthem. The only way to bet on the Super Bowl National Anthem is through offshore sportsbooks like Bovada and BetOnline, which legally accept players across the U.S.