Viewers can place a prop bet on the over or under of the length of time it takes for Grammy Award-winning artist Jon Batiste to perform the national anthem. BetMGM places the over/under odds for Batiste’s rendition at 120.5 seconds, or slightly over two minutes, according to USA Today.
It appears it won’t be an easy choice for gamblers. Batiste’s past renditions float right around two minutes from first to last note, depending on instrumentation and subtle arrangement shifts. He also might be adding some additional schmaltz due to the fact he is on the biggest stage in the world.
Will Jon Batiste Go Over or Under Line for His Rendition of the National Anthem?
History tells us basically nothing aside from the fact it could go either way. Notwithstanding Batiste’s personal time for his rendition, past Super Bowl renditions have gone both over and under the allotted time for the bet.
Since 1990, there have been 14 performances that went 120 seconds or longer. Most recently, Chris Stapleton reached 121 seconds in 2023, which would clear this year’s line but was under the posted betting line of 125 seconds.
Alicia Keys holds the record at two minutes and 36 seconds, hitting the over by 21 seconds in a 2013 performance that took longer than some Super Bowl-winning drives. Keys started a run of long renditions, with the next four singers going longer than two minutes before Pink stopped the streak in 2018.
While one performance doesn’t necessarily inform the next, things are trending toward length. Since Keys’ marathon, seven of the last 11 performances have been 120 seconds or more.
Compare that to the ’90s, when five singers posted times of 1:40 or shorter. (For those curious, the fastest Super Bowl anthem time belongs to Neil Diamond, who posted a blistering 62 seconds in 1987.)
Last year, the ever-charismatic Reba McEntire clocked the shortest anthem time in more than a decade, finishing the song in one minute and 34 seconds, according to Forbes. Stapleton finished the song within two minutes and five seconds, while Sullivan and Church clocked in at just under two minutes.
Betting on the anthem length is tradition, such as who will win the coin toss. People will be rooting for the song to be extended or for Batiste to hurry up and finish.
“The Star-Spangled Banner” is written in the three-quarter time signature and set to 106 beats per minute, according to The Athletic. Performed this way, it clocks in at one minute and 19 seconds, or 1.5 seconds off of the gambling line.