The proposition bet is one of the by-products of the rapid growth of modern sports betting, in terms of popularity and variety. As the hobby spreads around the world like wild fire, more diverse ways of playing are continually being invented. Most major sports allow proposition bets, but some offer more opportunities and more profitable ones. Some of the best sports for proposition bets are American football (NFL), soccer e.g. the English Premier League, and tennis.
What Is A Proposition Bet?
Whenever a sports punter bets on an outcome that does not directly relate to the final result of a game, that’s a proposition bet. In sports gambling circles, the term is shortened to prop bet or just “prop”. Other terms used for this bet include novelty bet and side bet. Props are special bets because while most popular betting revolves around picking match winners or predicting point totals, proposition bets bets have nothing to do with that. Instead, props involve forecasting other novel occurrences in a game. These bets are a truly unique and fun way to approach sports betting. There’s none of the grave consideration of typical betting markets like outright winner or 1X2 moneyline betting. Instead, the punter gets to amuse themselves with curious little picks from any game. In the NFL, picture things like:
- Will Tom Brady score more than two touchdowns in this game?
- How many passing yards will Player X have (Over/Under a certain line)?
Or even something slightly naughtier, like:
- Will the pre-game coin toss be Heads or Tails?
Because of their nature, therefore, many don’t consider prop bets to be a serious form of betting. They are more popular among recreational gamblers than professional sports bettors looking to garner a real income from the hobby. That said, one need not be dismissive of proposition bets. They can still be highly profitable bets if done well, and easy to win at for punters with good knowledge of the sport in question. Where organic knowledge is insufficient, extra research can always be done to supplement it. Thankfully, American football is one of the best sports in terms of opportunities for profitable proposition betting.
The Safest Proposition Bet In An NFL Game?
It is difficult to pick just one proposition bet as the safest to bet on in an NFL game. Generally, when it comes to betting, the safer a bet is, the less profitable it is likely to be. In fact, some bets are so safe that no bookmaker will allow you to wager on such outcomes. Nonetheless, for the extremely risk-averse of gamblers, below are a few examples of NFL bets where it is almost impossible to lose money.
1) No 70 Yard Field Goal
The longest American football field goal made yet was 64 yards by one Matt Prater of the Denver Broncos in 2013. 70 yards is an awfully long distance for a place kicker to score from, and it’s not for lack of trying. Many of the best kickers history of the sport have tried it. Some have missed by a mile, and some have come agonizingly close. Ultimately, it hasn’t been achieved – yet. So No 70-yard Field Goal is almost absolute safety in a bet. But for a more practical, higher-profit proposition bet on field goal length, one can bet against a 60-yard goal being scored. It is still very difficult, and plenty of NFL seasons have passed without any field goals of such incredible distance.
2) 0-0 Game
It’s not impossible for an NFL game to end scoreless. But this happens so rarely that blue moons are in fact a far more frequent phenomenon. One would have to leaf through 78 years worth of records for the last time an NFL game ended a 0-0 draw – New York Giants vs. Detroit Lions in 1943. This is therefore another very safe bet as far as modern American football is concerned.
