As usual, the Super Bowl 56 halftime show offers a host of unique prop betting opportunities, but there's one obvious prop missing from every book's menu in 2022: Over/under number of years it took for Dr. Dre to get his Ph.D.
Aside from that, the usual halftime show prop bets — how many songs will be played, which song will open the performance, will there be a wardrobe malfunction — are all on the board, but there are a few more Dr. Dre and friends-specific bets that provide the most intrigue.
MORE SUPER 56 PROP BETS:
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Because there aren't any confirmed spoilers (yet), we don't have much to go on other than the official halftime show trailer. As such, we'll have to make educated guesses, but with such established artists, that's a little easier than it was for last year's performance by The Weeknd.
We'll break down the most interesting props below, including those involving censorship and smoking...because why wouldn't there be props involving censorship and smoking?
Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com
Super Bowl halftime show prop bets 2022
How many songs will be played during the halftime show?
- Over 8.5 -380
- Under 10.5 +265
First, this is likely a line error and the true O/U is 8.5, but as of publishing, those are the numbers on the oddsshark site. (We'll discuss that more in depth below.) Second, is there a limit to how much you can bet on the OVER? You should bet whatever that is.
Before we get into this year's show, a little history. Last year, The Weeknd performed nine songs, and during the past several halftime shows, primary artists frequently hit the eight-song mark, with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira breezing past it in 2020 (15, plus a dance outro). In '19, Maroon 5 and guests played nine songs (plus a taped track, which may or may not count, depending on your book's rules). Justin Timberlake played 11 in '18, while Lady Gaga played just seven in '17, though there were also three pre-recorded songs as she entered the stage. Again, it's unclear if those count toward the official over/under.
All told, during the past 11 Super Bowl halftime shows, artists have averaged right around 8.9 songs, not counting pre-recorded excerpts. That number is obviously skewed high by 2020's dual performers, but the trend is still with the OVER. That should continue, as the NFL is allowing two more minutes than usual for the halftime show, according to this interview with Dr. Dre.
This year, we have five legitimate performers, most of which could carry the halftime show on their own. It's likely each gets at least one solo track, with Dr. Dre and either Snoop or Eminem getting at least another three (some combination of "The Next Episode," "Nuthin' But a G Thang," "Still D.R.E.," and "Forgot About Dre" on top of "California Love"). That means just one more song is needed for OVER 8.5. It's possible Snoop only performs with Dr. Dre and doesn't get a solo song, which puts UNDER 8.5 in play (assuming the real O/U is 8.5), but there are still enough hits to go around from all the performers combined to hit the OVER.
Could they go UNDER 10.5, though? It's possible. It's rare you get a chance to straight-up "middle" a bet like this and play both sides, but it might be worth a try if it's actually available and not just a misprint. It's possible this group of performers does more full verses than usual and doesn't bounce around with quick medleys, but playing portions of 11 songs in 13 minutes is still doable.
What will be the first song played during the halftime show?
- California Love +200
- The Next Episode +350
- Family Affair +400
- Nuthin' But a G Thang +700
- Lose Yourself +650
- Drop It Like It's Hot +750
- All The Stars +1000
- Still D.R.E. +500
- HUMBLE. +950
Which artist will perform first during the halftime show?
- Dr. Dre +150
- Mary J. Blige +200
- Snoop Dogg +375
- Kendrick Lamar +750
- Eminem +700
We put these two together because they inherently go hand-in-hand. Because Dr. Dre is the "headliner" here, he stands a better chance of performing first. If he does, "California Love" is a prime candidate for the opener. It's a huge hit, and it starts by welcoming everybody to the "wild wild West," (where the Super Bowl is being played). "The Next Episode" also makes sense given the "introductory" nature of each verse, as does "Nuthin' But a G Thang," which was Dr. Dre's first big solo hit. What's interesting is Snoop Dogg is the first to rap on each song despite both being on Dr. Dre albums. That could create some interesting parlay opportunities (and potential arguments with betting sites). It's not a bad idea to sprinkle a little money on both Dre and Snoop if you're convinced Dre will be out there first in some capacity.
If this show is treated like a traditional concert where there's a buildup to the headliner, then either Mary J. Blige or Kendrick Lamar will perform first. That means "Family Affair" or "HUMBLE." are most likely to open. Kendrick seems more like a mid-performance guy, and since this show could be viewed as a "family affair" of sorts, Mary J. is a sneaky choice here.
Ultimately, we like the two favorites, as boring as that is. The California/West Coast talk has been through the roof leading up this Super Bowl, so Dr. Dre starting off with "California Love" makes a ton of sense. It's possible he saves that for the closing song, but either way, we like Dr. Dre to be on stage first. You're still getting plus money with Dre and "California Love," making both worth an investment.
What will be the first Dr. Dre song performed?
- The Next Episode -110
- Still D.R.E. +125
- Nuthin' But a G Thang +325
Because "California Love" is technically a 2Pac song, the first Dr. Dre song doesn't necessarily have to be the show opener. That opens the door for any of these three songs. What's tough about "The Next Episode" is if they want to do Dre's verse, they might have to skip Snoop's opening verse (and the Nate Dogg outro). With both verses and no outro, it's about two minutes, which is doable and makes sense as Dre's first song, but at minus money, it doesn't offer the most value.
Strong arguments can be made for both "Still D.R.E." and "Nuthin' But a G Thang." The former features Dre (with the help of Snoop) defiantly reminding us that he hasn't gone anywhere, while the latter was Dre and Snoop's first big hit and lets everyone know they're "ready to make an entrance." (Technically, "Deep Cover" was their first song together, but it's highly unlikely the NFL wants a song that's explicitly about shooting a police officer played during the Super Bowl halftime show.)
Given the value on "Nuthin' But a G Thang," that would be our pick, but thematically, all make sense. If you think the show will weave through Dre's career in a chronological fashion, then "Nuthin' But a G Thang" would definitely be first among these three choices and feed perfectly into "The Next Episode."
What will Eminem's first song be?
- Lose Yourself +175
- My Name Is +375
- The Real Slim Shady +225
- Without Me +750
- Stan +900
- Any Other Song +225
"Lose Yourself" and "Any Other Song" seem like the best options here, as there's no guarantee Eminem performs any of the other songs on this list. Depending on how much time he gets, Eminem could do a quick medley of his early hits, but he frequently skips some in his full concerts.
If Eminem does a quick medley before launching into "Lose Yourself," then you can make a strong case for "My Name Is" (his first hit) or "The Real Slim Shady." The fact there's a reference to his Slim Shady persona in the official halftime show trailer might be a clue he's going that route. That said, his song "Rap God" is actually featured in the trailer, so that's in play, too.
It all comes down to how much time you think Eminem will have. If he just gets one solo song, then he might only do his part on "Forgot About Dre" with Dr. Dre and "Lose Yourself" by himself. If he has a little more time, he might perform a quick medley, then "Lose Yourself." Either way, "Lose Yourself" makes the most sense.
Will any part of Eminem's performance be censored?
- Yes -180
- No +135
NBC will be overly cautious on the censoring, so there's a good chance something gets blanked out during the halftime show. However, that might be more likely for Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar, so it's a bit surprising they only list Eminem here.
If Eminem only does a medley of hooks, with his featured song being "Lose Yourself," he's less likely to be censored than you might think. Despite being cursed with a curse to just curse, there isn't anything overly censor-worthy in the first verse and hook of "Lose Yourself" (just one curse). However, if Eminem does his verse on "Forgot About Dre," then we got trouble. Again, NBC will have an itchy censor finger, so this is tough to handicap. Barring an obscene gesture, there's much more value on "No" here.
Will Snoop Dogg smoke on stage?
- Yes +300
- No -450
There's no way the NFL wants Snoop to smoke on stage...but there's also no way Snoop doesn't want to smoke on stage. You see the dilemma. It really seems unlikely he'll light up a joint at the Super Bowl (and even if he did, NBC would likely avoid showing it), but ain't no value (and there ain't no fun) in betting "No" here, so blaze it up.
Will a football be used as a prop?
- Yes +300
- No -450
Snoop Dogg runs a youth football league, so there's a slight opening here, but not really. There's very little value in betting "No," but it feels like a sure thing.
Will there be a wardrobe malfunction?
- Yes +950
- No -3300
As always, we need a definition of "wardrobe malfunction." Does a blue bandana falling out of a back pocket during a C-Walk count? If not, this feels like another safe, value-less "No."
