Countdown to Super Bowl XLVI: Prop bets galore - Ingles

While betting on the actual result of the Super Bowl is, obviously, a popular activity for many fans, the unusual “prop,” or proposition wagers, can often be more intriguing.

One of the most popular prop bets in recent years has been the over/under wager on the length of the national anthem, and this year – with Kelly Clarkson set to perform the anthem – most sports books offering action on the wager have set the over/under time at 1 minute 34 seconds.

Sound short? Apparently, it isn’t. For those who are so inclined, the analysts at the Web site Beyond the Bets researched Clarkson’s previous performances of the anthem and have concluded that there may be significant value in betting the under. According to the site, the longest public anthem Clarkson has performed was 1 minute 38 seconds, and that took place at a charity event in 2000. In individual anthems, the site found, Clarkson averaged 1 minute 31 seconds and – other than that one charity event – has never sung one longer than 1 minute 34 seconds.

The key to her shorter performances, the site discovered, may lie in the finish – Clarkson generally does a very tight “brave” as her conclusion, instead of drawing the final word out dramatically.

Of course, performers do change their tendencies depending on the circumstances, and if ever Clarkson was going to go longer, the Super Bowl would seem an ideal spot. But if Clarkson stays consistent on Sunday, savvy bettors will be happy and so will the casual fan – after all, the sooner she is finished, the closer the game will be to kicking off.

If you want to take a stab at the length of Clarkson’s performance or some other facts about Super Bowl XLVI, play The Times’s Crystal Bowl game.

This article was written by Sam Borden and appeared in the New York Times.