For some of the NFL audience, the Super Bowl halftime show is why they are tuning into the big game. And with plenty of betting options available when the action on the field is on a break, let’s check out some odds and give our picks.
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Perhaps the most popular Super Bowl halftime show bet is on which song will be performed first. With a catalog as loaded as Usher’s, there is no shortage of options with varying odds.
Top 5 Super Bowl Halftime Show 1st Song Odds at BetMGM
- My Way: +100
- OMG: +150
- Love in This Club: +700
- Yeah!: +700
- DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love: +1100
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One of his earliest hits, My Way, has been a go-to as Usher’s opening song during his Las Vegas residency and other concerts, hence the short odds. While it would not be shocking to see this start the party at the half, the value is just not there. Keep in mind the tune is 25 years old, and while it’s become a classic, it did not chart as well as some of his other hits.
Usher’s biggest hit ever is Yeah!, reaching No. 1 on the pop charts and across the board in 2004. It was also the top-selling single of the year in the US.
The knock against picking Yeah! as the opener is often times the first song is a solo without guests. While we will get to guest performers odds later, Yeah! will almost certainly include Lil Jon and/or Ludacris on the stage. Still, at +700, the value is there, and after Usher himself confirmed he would have guests, they may want to get it popping right off the hop.
The Pick: Yeah! +700
Top 10 Super Bowl Halftime Show Guest Performer Odds at FanDuel
- Lil Jon: -50000
- Ludacris: -50000
- will.i.am: -550
- Alicia Keys: -114
- Pitbull: -114
- Nicki Minaj: +270
- Post Malone: +450
- Lil Wayne: +550
- Justin Bieber: +580
- David Guetta: +640
Seeing as Lil Jon and Ludacris moved from -105 and -250, respectively, to -50000, it all but guarantees Yeah! will be performed and, for our purposes, hopefully, to lead off the show. After Usher said yesterday it would be foolish not to invite the pair, expect to see Lil Jon and Luda on Sunday. That said, the odds just don’t make it worthwhile to lay a bet.
Alicia Keys went from the favorite at -330 to a more reasonable -114. Keys, of course, sang on the duet No. 1 hit My Boo with Usher in 2004. The song was huge, spending six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. After singing the National Anthem at Super Bowl 47, we’re betting Keys makes her return this weekend in Vegas, this time taking the stage with Usher.
The Pick: Alicia Keys -114
Super Bowl Halftime Songs Performed Odds at FanDuel
- Over 8.5 Songs: -250
- Under 8.5 Songs: +170
Making hits since the mid-1990s, it’s hard to imagine Usher being able to cram in less than nine songs for his halftime performance. Keep in mind the R&B icon has released nine studio albums and produced 81 singles. The key number here could be that Usher has had nine Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles. Would he leave one of those on the cutting room floor? Even if he did, the man also has 18 Hot 100 top-ten singles. It should be noted that to qualify, at least 10 seconds of the song must be performed.
The Pick: Over 8.5 Songs (-250)
