"Props," short for proposition bets, which are wagers on things like which team will score first or who will win the MVP, will be available at all of the sports books in the week leading up to the game. Most assume that the SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas (formerly the Las Vegas Hilton and LVH) will have the most, but last year William Hill took aim at Westgate and out-propped them, putting up more than 400 different bets. Fairly close behind should be Station Casinos. Those are the three primary sources to scout.
Some books have already put up "generic" props. These are non-player-specific bets on things like whether or not one team will have three consecutive scores or who will win the coin toss (lined at a skinny -102 each way at Westgate). It takes more time to crunch and post the numbers for the individual-player props ... but today's the big day! And while Will Hill may have stolen the fire for most props, the "unofficial" grand unveiling is still at the Westgate.
Tonight at 7 p.m., the first big-limit player props go up. It’s the highest-profile prop event of the year, ushering in the big week of Super Bowl betting. Right at 7, the giant odds board lights up and the windows open for action. Check that. A single window opens. Players are allowed to make a maximum of three bets at a $2K limit, then they have to go to the back of the line that’s 20 to 50 deep with pros, there to take their swipes. The book takes the action according to these parameters while it constantly adjusts the lines off their bets. If you’re into this sort of thing, it’s a great opportunity to see some of the big names in the (sports-betting) game up close. Kind of cool.
The frenzy lasts only for about an hour, then things taper off. The bets stay up on the board, but the "sheets" with the listed props don’t come out till the weekend, probably Saturday night. The Westgate does that purposely, first to check for errors, but also to make it more difficult for other books to copy its numbers. As comprehensive as the prop lists are, they don’t come close to the selection you can find at offshore books online. But even most of those don’t put up all their lines till after the Westgate posts today.
By early next week, everything will be out, including parlay cards and the cool Super Bowl-betting deals, e.g., bet $20 and get a T-shirt. To stay abreast of all the developments, monitor the frequent posts this week at LVASports.com or via @LVASports, where LVA’s Frank B will post every prop available in the state, including the "off joints" in Reno, Tahoe, Carson City, and Mesquite. No one else is doing that. Check it out right up till the day of the Big Game.
