We’ve reached the run-up to Super Bowl 57 between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. But before there’s a kickoff, there’s the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” — the United States’ national anthem. A glorious, heartfelt, harmonious anthem for the ages.
With that in mind, here are the top NFL betting odds for this year’s national anthem, and our recommendation on which way to wager.
Super Bowl 57 National Anthem Singer
This year, Chris Stapleton will sing the national anthem. Stapleton is a 38-year-old country singer from Tennessee and originally from Kentucky. He’s also ventured into rock and soul. With dozens of industry awards ranging from Grammy’s to Billboard Music awards to Country Music Association awards, Stapleton will no doubt “bring it” on Super Bowl Sunday.
Top Super Bowl National Anthem Prop Bet
Seven of the last eight Super Bowl national anthems have gone over the prop line for length of time. Last year, Sportsbooks opened the line at around 1:35 — one of the lowest in recent memory. In a surprising upset, the anthem singer, Mickey Guyton, went 16 seconds over.
What is this year’s top anthem prop bet, and are there any indications of how long Stapleton might serenade us with the earthy tones of red-glared rockets?
National Anthem Over/Under 119.5 Seconds
In the 16 years since wagering on national anthem length was a “thing,” the over has prevailed on nine occasions, or 56% of the time. The unders have taken it six times (38%). Meanwhile, Kelly Clarkson hit her prop on the nose 11 years ago — an on-target rendition that only the inimitable Kelly Clarkson could achieve.
Several overseas betting operations like CoolBets and Betano offer a range of wagering options from anthem length to the color of Stapleton’s hat (hint: purple is not an option).
But let’s stick with the one offering that a large plurality or possibly a majority of you can work with. FanDuel has presented a betting line of 119.5 seconds for Stapleton’s anthem. The line for the over is -210, while the line for the under is +160.
Why is the under far more favorable? Let’s dive a little deeper.
Since 1990 — all the way through to Clarkson’s performance — only six anthems (26%) took 120+ seconds. And yes, that means 74% of performances came in under two minutes.
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But then, in Super Bowl 47 in 2013, something began to happen. Let’s call it the Clarkson Effect. But whatever the reason, America was changing. And whether by fate or intention, the length of the Super Bowl national anthem changed with it.
Because beginning with Alicia Keys a decade ago, the anthem hit 120+ seconds five straight times and seven of the last 10. Incredible.
And here’s something potentially more actionable. Since and including Vanessa Williams’ performance in 1996, a singer has completed the anthem in less than 110 seconds. It’s happened eight times, and in each year following such a brief rendition — beginning with Luther Vandross in 1997 — the anthem length jumped to 110+ seconds.
Also, since 2005, on the five occasions when an anthem has finished between 108 and 119 seconds, the following year, it’s hit 2+ minutes 80% of the time.
There is somewhat of a boomerang effect with national anthems. Briefer ones often follow longer ones, and vice versa. Last year’s relatively brief 112-second performance suggests this year’s will go a little longer. Despite the relatively weak odds, I’d bet the over on 119 seconds.