I'm not a big gambler. I'll do some smaller competitions with friends, wagering no more than $50 at a time, and various square pools (mostly for fundraisers). But I don't have a bookie, and can't advise anyone follow my betting advice. I project stats and scores for games, but there's a margin of error there. So take these with a grain of salt.
Super Bowl prop bets are bigger all the time, though, and they're fun, so I checked out a few online lists. I stay well away from cross-sports bets (I don't watch other sports these days) and ones like color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach or how long it takes Demi Lovato to sing the National Anthem. But here are the actual football-related ones I have some interest in.
More quarterback rushing yards: Mahomes. There are a lot of quarterback comparison-related props, but most of the ones involving passing production you have to bet an awful lot of money on Mahomes to win anything significant. This one is the only one I'm interested in, because it looks like free money. Jimmy Garoppolo rushed for more than 8 yards in a game just one time all season, and that was in a monsoon against Washington. Mahomes rushed for double-digit yards nine times in 16 games, including seven of his last eight, and 53 in each of the last two playoff games.
Total number Kansas City players to have a rushing attempt: OVER 4.5. Kansas City has had 4 different players get a rushing attempt in each of its two playoff games, without LeSean McCoy being one of them. McCoy will definitely get a carry in the Super Bowl, joining Mahomes, Damien Williams, and Tyreek Hill (a carry in 9 of 13 games). So to hit the over I really only need one of Watkins, Hardman, Thompson or Anthony Sherman to get a carry at some point. Looks good to me. San Francisco's number is five, by the way, and I'm not touching that one. Guaranteed two running backs, Deebo, and Garoppolo get carries, and probably another receiver or running back. But 6 looks iffy, so I'll stay away.
Total number of 49ers to have a reception: OVER 5.5. Five different Niners saw a target against Green Bay and four had a reception, even with Garoppolo throwing the ball only eight times and Tevin Coleman being sidelined early. I think it's very safe to say Kittle, Samuel, Sanders, Bourne, Mostert and Coleman (or Breida, if Coleman winds up inactive) will catch passes in this game. That's six.
Total number of Kansas City players to have a reception: UNDER 7.5. Patrick Mahomes has thrown the ball 35 times in each of Kansas City's two playoff games. Against the Titans, six players caught passes. Against the Texans, eight did, but that included backup tight ends Blake Bell and Deon Yelder each catching balls, which seldom happened during the season. I figure Kansas City will have three wideouts, a tight end, and two running backs catch passes for sure, but that's only six, giving me a cushion for either a fourth wide receiver, second tight end, or third running back to catch a pass and still win the bet. I don't feel quite as good about this one as the San Francisco bet, but I'll be surprised if eight different players catch a ball for Kansas City.
More receiving yards in the game. There are a bunch of different props comparing Sanders, Samuel, Watkins, Hardman etc. It's too expensive to bet on a big name like Hill or Samuel having more yards than Hardman or Robinson, but some comparisons of the lesser guys are intriguing. Sammy Watkins has had a couple of nice playoff games in a row, while Emmanuel Sanders hasn't done much in most games for San Francisco. I like Watkins to have more yards than Sanders. I also have a slight lean for Travis Kelce over George Kittle.
Total receiving yards: Tyreek Hill UNDER 79.5. Hill's great, but he reached 80 receiving yards just three times all season -- none in his last eight games.
Total receiving yards: Deebo Samuel OVER 54.5. Samuel has 42 and 46 yards in San Francisco's two playoff games, even with Jimmy Garoppolo averaging just 104 passing yards. Samuel had at least 76 yards in four of the team's final eight regular-season games. I see that I actually projected him at 53 receiving yards this week, hmm. But I'm willing to inch him up to 55 and take the over in this bet.
No missed extra points. Robbie Gould has made 96 of 101 extra points the last three seasons, essentially missing one every 10 games. Butker has missed 7 (138 of 145) in that span, one every seven games. I feel pretty good that both guys can get through this one game without missing an extra point.
Both teams make a field goal of 33-plus yards. This seems like a given to me, even though Harrison Butker has kicked only one field goal in two playoff games, and it was from just 24 yards. Most field goals are longer than 33 yards, and San Francisco's defense seems likely to force Kansas City to settle for at least one. Butker kicked a field goal from outside 33 yards in 14 of 16 games this season. Robbie Gould did it in just 9 of 14 games, but has done so in six straight.