NFL props betting has evolved from a single novelty bet in a single game to one of the dominant ways to bet in just a few decades. Props are simply outcomes that are not related to the actual score of the game and can be based on team stats or player performances.
By now, most football bettors know the story of how football props got started. But we’ll give the quick recap if you haven’t.
How did props betting get started? What was the first prop?
The year was 1986, the game was Super Bowl XX (20 for normal people who don’t use Roman numerals) and there was a huge rookie lineman named William Perry who had scored a few offensive touchdowns during the season for the Chicago Bears.
When the Bears earned a trip to the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, oddsmakers in Vegas thought it would be fun to offer a prop bet on whether ‘Refrigerator’ Perry would score a TD in the game. He did, bettors loved the prop and oddsmakers started adding a few, then dozens, then hundreds and now there are thousands of football props every week.
What is an example of a football prop?
- Who will be the first NFL coach fired this season? That is a prop bet.
- Who will pass for more yards in the Saints-Falcons this week – Drew Brees or Matt Ryan. That is a prop bet.
- Will Ezekiel Elliott rush for more than 89.6 yards this week against the Eagles? That is a prop bet.
Basically, any question or game-within-a-game you can dream up can be turned into an NFL prop or a college football prop.