Super Bowl Bets

The Super Bowl involves food, beer, big-name entertainment, patriotism, zany commercials, and, by the way, a football game. The spice to the whole enchilada is betting. It just isn't a real Super Bowl Party without wagering by one and all.

But does the non-football fan stand a chance betting against Bob From Down The Block who has been analyzing these point spreads, over/unders, parleys and teasers since September? Will Joe the Plumber find himself broke and face-down in the guacamole dip when the game is over?

No! There are also "proposition bets" for this biggest of Big Games that require zero pigskin prognostication ability.

1. The over/under on Carrie Underwood's rendition of the National Anthem is set at 1:42. 102 seconds seems sufficient to get from "Oh say can you see" to "the home of the brave", but there is a military flyover involved here not to mention "rocket's red glare" fireworks and that all takes time. Joe the Plumber probably recalls Whitney Houston's rendition back in '91 that lasted longer than the First Gulf War. He will clean up by betting the "over".

2. The halftime performers are The Who. Las Vegas is not foolish enough to accept bets on whether Pete Townsend will shatter his guitar at the end of the performance. Of course, he will! They do offer odds on whether Pete will smash it against the stage floor, an amplifier, or a fellow band member. Joe the Plumber may not know football, but he's a classic rock fan. Barring a feud between Pete and Roger Daltrey, Joe knows that Pete's first swing is always against an amplifier, Another win for Joe!

3. Las Vegas offers a "make good" bet for those who facing the loss of their money, home, and first-born as the game winds down. You can wager on the color of the Gatorade that the winning coach will have dumped on him. Joe will pay rapt attention to sideline shots during as the game progresses. His discerning eye can pick up the Gatorade color while Bob is more concerned with the protruding bone from the fractured limb of the player drinking the Gatorade. Thus, Joe cleans up over "football expert" Bob.

It's no more necessary to understand football to win big money betting on the Super Bowl than it is to understand mortgage derivatives to garner huge bonuses on Wall Street.