Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley may have provided a Super Bowl spoiler for bettors in New Jersey.
Gurley was asked on Twitter last week what the team's preferred Gatorade flavor was. He responded "Ice Punch."
In New Jersey, you can now bet on what color of Gatorade will be dumped on the winning coach after Super Bowl LIII between the Rams and New England Patriots.
"Clear" is the betting favorite, at +200, but at FanDuel's sportsbook, 40 percent of the early money was on orange at +350 odds. Yellow also was listed at +350, with blue and red the long shots at +400 and +500 respectively.
Super Bowl prop bets have been a phenomenon in the U.S. for years, but, due to integrity concerns, the wilder ones, like the color of the postgame Gatorade bath or the over/under on the length of the national anthem sung before the game, have been restricted to primarily offshore sportsbooks. Nevada books have been prevented from offering prop bets on events not closely related to the game. New Jersey's Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) is taking a more liberal approach for its first Super Bowl with legal sportsbooks in the Garden State.
The DGE considered all props submitted by licensed sportsbooks "where the result is actually determined by an individual covered under the NFL's gambling policy," which includes league employees, coaches, players, officials and other affiliated individuals.
DraftKings director of operations Johnny Avello joked that he took a "scientific" approach to formulating his Gatorade color odds. In addition to Gurley's tweet, Avello found that in the Patriots' five recent Super Bowl victories, three times coach Bill Belichick avoided a Gatorade bath; once he was doused by blue liquid, and the other time by clear.
Bettors, who think the Rams will prevail, also have to decide whether Gurley is trustworthy regarding the team's Gatorade flavor of choice. On Monday, at Super Bowl Opening Night, Gurley said with a wry smile that he "likes making people mad" when it comes to fantasy football or betting. And of course, his infamous play inside the 10-yard line against the Green Bay Packers was one of the biggest gambling and fantasy moments of the season.
Avello, who spent 30-plus-years in the Las Vegas sports betting industry, said DraftKings will keep limits lower, somewhere in the range of "$50-$100," on the novelty bets as a precaution.
Among other unique props available in New Jersey, FanDuel and DraftKings were among the books offering odds on whether Patriots quarterback Tom Brady or tight end Rob Gronkowski would retire by the end of Monday after Super Bowl. At FanDuel, Brady was listed at +1,400 to retire; Gronkowski at +400. The book was not allowing bettors to bet "No."
The betting action on the Super Bowl coin flip was split somewhat evenly at FanDuel, where 54 percent of the bets were on heads, but 54 percent of the money wagered was on tails.