(Getty)
According to the American Gaming Association, the total amount of money wagered on Super Bowl 51 will exceed four billion dollars. Some of that money will change hands before the players take the field, as the national anthem is one of the more popular prop bets offered by Bovada. Luke Bryan has been chosen to perform the Star-Spangled Banner before kickoff, and if you’re looking for an angle, you can study some game film.
Here’s Bryan singing the anthem before the 2012 MLB All-Star Game.
Bryan goes a cappella, and clocks in at 2:03. He revealed earlier this week that he will be performing Sunday’s anthem the same way, but couldn’t make a determination on the length.
“I’m kind of gonna walk out there and follow my heart and follow the vibe of the room, Bryan told media earlier this week. “So there’s no telling how long it may go. I may go out there and go ‘I’m about to pass out, I need to get this thing over quick.’ Or I may go out there and really, really feel good in the moment and try to milk it a little bit.
Here’s Bryan again, this time at Chicagoland Speedway in 2012:
By my count, Bryan clocks in at 1:59. Now that we have two performances to analyze, let’s take a look at the full odds for Sunday. Here are the full National Anthem props, courtesy of Bovada:
National Anthem Length
Over 2:09 -120
Under 2:09 -120
Will Luke Bryan Forget or Omit a Word?
Yes +400
No -700
Will Luke Bryan Be Wearing a Hat?
Yes +150
No -200
What Will Luke Bryan Be Wearing?
Blue jeans -250
Any other pants/shorts +170
Looking at the film, it appears Bryan is going under the 2:09 mark. Both videos are easily under that number, and Bryan doesn’t do anything too flashy with his voice. He doesn’t reach for a high note at the end, and doesn’t linger too many words. In both performances, he’s wearing blue jeans.
Because people take off their hats before the national anthem, I think that “No Hat” could be the biggest lock of the Super Bowl. Bryan seems to have respect for the responsibiltiy of singing the anthem, and we can use that to our gambling advantage.
Final Prediction: Under, Won’t Forget a Word, No Hat, Blue Jeans