Super Bowl 50 Mini-Preview & Prop Bets

So much has been made of the two Quarterbacks in this match-up when clearly, Cam Newton is the far superior overall player at this point in their careers. What the media needs to focus on more is the potential for exposed weaknesses in each team's lineup. For instance, Michael Oher is expected to block Von Miller in this game and that has somehow gone completely unrecognized by anybody because we are too busy complaining about having fun or playing the guessing game with a Quarterback who will be totally irrelevant next season even if he does play.

There are a few other match-ups that grab my attention in this game and one is the battle of Ted Ginn Jr. and Demaryius Thomas versus their own hands. One of these two is going to drop a touchdown at some point and it could decide the game. Another interesting battle will be Thomas Davis and his one arm versus the Denver running backs. Ronnie Hillman might not be much of an impact with the way C.J. Anderson has been playing lately and it will be a necessary task for Davis to bring down that little bowling ball with his broken arm. Another weakness is Denver's consistently inconsistent o-line versus underrated pass-rushers like Kawann Short, Mario Addison and possibly even Kony Ealy while veteran Jared Allen distracts one side of the line. If Denver can't block, they can forget about winning.

The last time these two teams faced, nothing on either roster was even close to how either team looks now but, Greg Olsen went nuts for 102 yards and 2 TD's in a 36-14 Denver win. Only a dozen or so players remain from each team and if the final score is 36-14, it won't be Denver winning. After last year's debacle of a pick, I'm almost afraid to go with what I actually think should happen this year. The one thing that is keeping me awake at night is the thought that Bart Starr had 9 TD's and 17 INT's when he won the first Super Bowl, this is potentially Peyton Manning's final game, John Elway won his final game, Elway runs the Broncos right now, It's a milestone Super Bowl so why shouldn't an all-time great get another milestone? It all makes me very nervous but, I think I'm ready to make a pick and hopefully, things don't go as disastrously wrong as last year (I picked Chris Matthews for Super Bowl MVP, they threw it at the goal line when Matthews could have and quite possibly, should have won the award in the only noteworthy game of his career).

My Pick: CAROLINA WINS 42-0. Another shutout? -rolls eyes at self-.

Sam Sharpe - USA TODAY Sports
Cam Newton will win Super Bowl 50 MVP honors in San Francisco.

PROP BETS
Coin Toss: Heads or Tails. Tails never fails... unless it's heads. I'll take tails.

Highest Scoring Half: 1st Half or 2nd Half/OT. If it's a blowout early, the team in the lead will step off the gas late in the game. 1st half it is!

Will either team score 5 unanswered times in the game? Yes (+700). Now, watch Denver take a 15-0 lead thanks to Brandon McManus.

What will be the result of the first offensive play of the game? Rush attempt without a first down (+125). If Denver is smart and in the game, they'll run it 75% of the time and Carolina typically runs to open up big games (see: Seattle, Rd. 2).

Will the last play of the game be a QB rush? Yes (-155). Very rarely does a Super Bowl not end on the QB's knee.

Will the Denver Broncos successfully convert a 4th down? Yes (EVEN). Desperate times call for desperate measures.

MVP: Super Bowl 50. WR Ted Ginn Jr. (+1600). If the Panthers need to get creative, Ted Ginn is always around, much like Antwaan Randle El just with a much weaker arm I'd assume.

How many times will "dab" or "dabbing" be mentioned by the announcers during the broadcast? Over 2 (EVEN). The players will dab and announcers will probably have to talk about it during a dull part of the game as filler.

Will Mike Carey be wrong about a challenge? Yes (+145). Carey typically dances around answering what the call will be after review nowadays but, every so often the guy throws his opinion into the ring and it is nearly always wrong.

Will either backup QB take a snap in the game? Yes (+200). There are many ways for this to happen with the obvious temptation being a Peyton Manning benching leading to some Brock Lobster action.

Who will the MVP mention first? God (+200).

How long will it take Lady Gaga to sing the US national anthem? Under 2:20 (-150). She doesn't seem like the type to hold onto a note way longer than necessary.

How many times will the Golden Gate Bridge be shown during the broadcast? Over 0.5 (-500). Here, take your free money.

Will the announcers mention that Broncos Head Coach Gary Kubiak was John Elway's backup? Yes (-200). More free money!

Will Cam Newton break the Super Bowl record for QB rushing yards (64, Steve McNair)? Yes (+250)

Kevin Mazur - Getty Images
I'm more of a "The Scientist" man myself.

Which song will Coldplay lead off the halftime show with? "Adventure Of A Lifetime" (+200).

How many artists will sing during the halftime show? Over 3.5 (+150). With Beyonce confirmed as a guest and rumors floating about that might feature Rihanna and/or Bruno Mars, this shindig is bound to have plenty of cameos. By the way, Kanye West has an album coming out next Friday and there is a Kanye West song featuring Chris Martin.

Will there be an earthquake during the game? Yes (+1500). A pretty disturbing prop bet if any major catastrophe occurs BUT, If the fans get loud enough, will it measure on the Richter scale? doubtful but, the odds are tempting.