2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) Prop Bet: The Christina Aguilera National Anthem

Leading up to the 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, we'll be taking a look at Super Bowl proposition betting, or more specifically, the fun or funny Super Bowl 45 (XLV) prop bets that you hear so much about. That includes props on the Super Bowl coin toss, Super Bowl halftime show, Super Bowl National Anthem, Super Bowl postgame Gatorade Shower dump and much more. Follow along on the Super Bowl sidebar to the right!

Our 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) prop bet coverage continues with one of everybody's favorites: The National Anthem. As you may know (by, for example, reading the title of this post), Christina Aguilera will take on the Star Spangled Banner duties prior to the commencement of the Steelers and Packers actually playing this game. On Bodog, we have the following odds:

How long will it take Christina Aguilera to sing the National Anthem?

Time starts from when she starts singing until her last note ends.
Over 1 minute, 50 seconds -125
Under 1 minute 50, seconds -115

On BetUS, however, the odds look like this:

Over 1 minute, 56 seconds -120

Under 1 minute, 56 seconds -120

One of the first things that stands out is the amount of juice required for this very popular prop. To lay -120 on a bet either way is rare (-110 is standard, and even -105 is more common than -120).

Secondly, obviously, is the enormous disparity between these two books on the same prop bet. Six seconds on the National anthem is the equivalent of a touchdown spread (-7) in an actual game, according to Super Bowl National Anthem Prop Betting Experts (read: us).

There is such a great opportunity to middle these two bets, laying the OVER on 1 minute 50 seconds and the UNDER on 1 minute 56 seconds. Frankly, we haven't seen anything like it and expect those odds to change--on Bodog's end. Bodog opened at -120 juice both ways, but as you can see the heavier action on the over is causing the chalk to rise on that bet. Eventually, the total will rise. Why? Because Christina Aguilera will go OVER 1 minute 50 seconds on the National Anthem prop bet. Our research (Embedded YouTube clips) follows.

Take a listen to her most recent anthem available, from Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, just over half a year ago on June 17, 2010:

From first note to last, she belts out a 1 minute 54 second rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, obviously over the 1 minute 50 second mark offered by Bodog. This is a big stage, the NBA's equivalent to the NFL's Super Bowl, so we can expect a similar version to this. While nothing compares to the atmosphere of the Super Bowl, this is certainly one of the best settings we can think in finding a comparative performance.

Not conclusive enough for you? How about the anthem she sung just two days prior, when she took to the microphone for Game 6 of the same Finals on June 15, 2010.

This time, Aguilera clocked in at a slighter quicker pace, 1 minute and 52 seconds. Once again, though, her time falls right in the middle of the prop bets offered by Bodog and BetUS.

Oh say, you can see that Aguilera's most recent couple of anthems have been right in that middle, but evidence of her Star Spangled skills weren't on display all that much prior to her back-to-back in the Finals. You have to go all the way back to an anthem familiar to many Pittsburgh fans, sung at a Pittsburgh Penguins NHL game on October 8, 2005.

Now, given that it was more than five years ago, we put less stock into this performance lasting only 1 minute and 45 seconds. The stage wasn't as large, so there was less inclination to ham it up like many anthem singers do.

If only we could find one more instance of Christina on the Staples Center court in Los Angeles, say six years prior to her recent Finals appearances. What's that? She also sung at the 2004 NBA All-Star Game on February 15, 2004? Perfect!

This time, Aguilera finishes closer to Bodog's mark of 1 minute and 50 seconds, finishing just 1 second under that mark at 1 minute and 49 seconds in a funky anthem at a time when she seems to have been going through a "phase." Regardless, we still see a trend upward as she's grown older.

We have further proof that she's been trending upward with this footage:

Aguilera, as an 11-year-old, sang at the Stanley Cup Finals between her hometown Penguins and the Chicago Blackhawks in 1992, representing the United States of America with this 1 minute, 37 second version.

Despite evidence that she has stretched her anthems out as she has gotten older, there is a wildcard in the bunch. At a hockey game in Anaheim, Aguilera didn't waste any time with Francis Scott Key's famous tune.

For those of you without stopwatches, that was a meager 1 minute, 21 seconds. Not knowing the event taking place or the date it was held, we aren't sure what to make of this version. Regardless, we are chalking it up as an anomaly. We also know, without video evidence, that Aguilera has sung the anthem at a Pittsburgh Pirates game on April 4, 2000 and likely has sung a few others as well, but we're making due with what's available.

The chronological breakdown of Christina Aguilera's National Anthem history, as provided by YouTube, is as follows:

1992 Stanley Cup Finals: 1 minute, 37 seconds

Random Anthem in Anaheim (date unknown): 1 minute, 21 seconds

2004 NBA All-Star Game: 1 minute, 49 seconds

2005 Pittsburgh Penguins game: 1 minute, 45 seconds

2010 NBA Finals Game 6: 1 minute, 52 seconds

2010 NBA Finals Game 7: 1 minute, 54 seconds

Due to the upward trend in her anthems (mostly), and the propensity to hold notes a little longer when performing the sports' world's single biggest event, our bet is definitely on OVER 1 minute, 50 seconds at Bodog (-125), and while we're at it, we'll take that UNDER on 1 minute, 56 seconds (-120) over at BetUS and hope to middle this anthem.

But wait, there's more!

Bodog also has this little nugget:

How long will Christina Aguilera hold the note “Brave” at the end of the National Anthem?
Time starts from when she starts saying "Brave" until her the note ends. If she says the full word twice wagers will be No Action.

Over 6 seconds -140
Under 6 seconds EVEN

Looking back at the above videos, here's what we have for "Brave" note:

1992 Stanley Cup Finals: 4 seconds

Random Anthem in Anaheim (date unknown): 5 seconds

2004 NBA All-Star Game: 4 seconds/5 seconds (said full word twice, would be graded as NO ACTION)

2005 Pittsburgh Penguins game: 4 seconds

2010 NBA Finals Game 6: 6 seconds

2010 NBA Finals Game 7: 5 seconds

Despite our insistence that Christina Aguilera will ham it up at the Super Bowl National Anthem, we think she holds the Brave note for UNDER 6 seconds. She's only reached 6 seconds in one of the six clips available, meaning the under has a 5-0-1 record. And at EVEN odds, it's a way better bet than taking the OVER at -140.

The final talley for Christina Aguilera's 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) National Anthem prop bet:

OVER 1 minute, 50 seconds National Anthem

UNDER 1 minute, 56 seconds National Anthem

UNDER 6 seconds "Brave" note

Those are the conclusions we draw from our 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) National Anthem prop bet analysis. God bless America.

Early 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) Prop Bets

Leading up to the 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, we'll be taking a look at Super Bowl proposition betting, or more specifically, the fun or funny Super Bowl 45 (XLV) prop bets that you hear so much about. That includes props on the Super Bowl coin toss, Super Bowl halftime show, Super Bowl National Anthem, Super Bowl postgame Gatorade Shower dump and much more. Follow along on the Super Bowl sidebar to the right!

As your unofficial home for all things Super Bowl prop betting, we wanted to give you an idea of what to expect in your proposition betting adventures over the course of the next two weeks leading up to The Big Game.

Here are some standard and generic prop bets that will be offered for the matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers.

For starters, some of which we mentioned earlier this morning, here are some of the fun and wacky Super Bowl prop bets we look forward to every year:

• How long will the National Anthem last? This will be an over/under, usually somewhere between 1:30-2:00. This year, the Star Spangled Banner will be performed by Christina Aguilera.
• How many times the announcers will say ____? This could be the name of a player not involved in the game but heavily mentioned in the pre-game hype. Brett Favre is an obvious possibility.
• How many times will cameras show ____? This could again be a famous person or player not involved in the game but in attendance. Not President Barack Obama, evidently.
• Will this be the highest rated Super Bowl ever? With two large fan bases in the Packers and Steelers, this will be attainable. This year's Super Bowl will air on FOX.)
• What color will the liquid poured on the winning coach be? One of our favorites, this will be a multiple choice question. Just pick a color, simple as that.
• Who will the game MVP thank first? It could be teammates, a higher power, God, parents, fans, etc.
• What songs will the halftime entertainer sing? The Black Eyed Peas are this year's halftime act. You can always expect their biggest hits to be played, but there is usually a wild card or two thrown in there.
• Will the coin toss be heads or tails? Very easy to bet on. Very popular bet. Yes, there is a correlation between the two.
• Which Super Bowl commercial will have the highest rating according to the USA Today's annual ad meter? Here, you'll bet on which company will be advertised in the top commercial. Beer makers, soft drink producers, and some of the other major Super Bowl advertisers will be options.
• Which game will be higher scoring, the Super Bowl or _____? Variations of this will exist, asking whether the Super Bowl score will be higher than a college basketball game on Super Sunday, or if a quarterback will have more completions than a basketball player has points, etc.

Aside from the fun props, here's a general list of what to expect:

First, there are your regular lines. The Packers opened at -2 favorites with an over/under set at 45. Don't feel like you have to bet on those, though. Those lines will be different on a quarter-by-quarter basis and updated as the game goes on. The basic bets look like this:

• Spread
• Moneyline
• First half line
• First quarter line
• Second quarter line
• Third quarter line
• Fourth quarter line (not including overtime)
• Over/Under

Then you get a little more specific:

• Total points scored by the home team (Packers)
• Total points scored by the visiting team (Steelers)
• First team to score
• Last team to score
• Will the last team to score win the game?
• Will there be a score in the last two minutes of the first half?
• Will either team score three unanswered times?
• Will there be a score in the first six and a half minutes of the game?
• Which team will have the longest touchdown?
• Will there be a successful two-point conversion?
• Will there be a safety?
• Which half will have the highest point score?
• Which quarter will have the highest point score?
• Will the home team ever have the lead?
• Which team will commit the first turnover?
• Which team will use the coaches' challenge first?
• Which team will be the first to call a timeout?
• Will there be overtime?
• Which team will get the first penalty?

Then, as we inch closer to the game, we'll have plenty of player props:

• Who will have more yards between a Packers RB/WR (such as Greg Jennings) and Steelers RB/WR (such as Hines Ward)?
• Who will have more tackles between a Packers defender (such as Clay Matthews) or Steelers defender (such as James Harrison)?
• How many yards will a team's star player (such as Aaron Rodgers) have? Answers will be in increments. For example: Between 200-240; Between 240-280, etc.)

Now that you know what to expect, you can expect to find more in-depth coverage of the above proposition bets right here at Stock Lemon. Tomorrow we will begin with our very detailed coverage of some of these aforementioned prop bets as we try to make prop betting profitable during the 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) between the Packers and Steelers.

2011 Super Bowl XLV (45): Prop Betting Schedule

Leading up to the 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, we'll be taking a look at Super Bowl proposition betting, or more specifically, the funny Super Bowl 45 (XLV) prop bets that you hear so much about. That includes props on the Super Bowl coin toss, Super Bowl halftime show, Super Bowl National Anthem, Super Bowl postgame Gatorade Shower and much more. Follow along on the Super Bowl sidebar to the right!

The Super Bowl is finally set, but before we can get the ball rolling on our 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) Prop Bet analysis, we wanted to give somewhat of a layout as far as when we'll be releasing the aforementioned proposition betting insight.

This is a tentative schedule, but our main focus throughout the first week will be to touch upon our favorite props--the fun, goofier ones, such as the ones listed above: the length of Christina Aguilera's Star Spangled Banner, the pre-game coin flip, and the post-game Gatorade dump.

Over the weekend, we'll look at a few 2011 Pro Bowl props with a pick on the NFL's All-Star game between the AFC and NFC, taking place on January 30 in Hawaii.

Following the Pro Bowl, when we're officially down to the Super Bowl as the final football game of the 2010(-11) season, we'll take a closer look at some of the more serious stuff--the player and team prop bets.

Later today, we'll get the ball rolling when we take a look at some early 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) prop bets to keep an eye on. Stay with us throughout these next two weeks as we approach Super Bowl 45, and we promise, you won't be disappointed.