Although all of the attention is focused on Super Bowl 57, there are plenty of other sporting events taking place on Sunday.
In fact, the showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium isn’t even the only major sporting event taking place in Arizona that day: The PGA Tour’s WM Phoenix Open will conclude earlier in the afternoon.
For those interested in Super Bowl appetizers, we’ve also got NBA and NHL matinee action on the docket as well as college basketball, Premier League soccer, and much more.
To make things even better, some sportsbooks are offering cross-sport props to give us a sweat before and during the big game. Let’s dig into our favorite cross-sport props for Super Bowl 57.
Before reading John Arlia’s picks, toggle with the widget below for our full list of NFL Super Bowl player props:
Best Super Bowl Cross-Sport Props
First Quarter Points +1.5 vs Fourth Round Birdies on No. 16 (-115) at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Two of my favorite events on the sporting calendar take place on Sunday: the Super Bowl and the WM Phoenix Open.
If you’ve never watched golf, this is the place to start. TPC Scottsdale annually welcomes in over 200,000 fans, which creates a Happy Gilmore-like atmosphere across the grounds, but particularly so at the famous 16th hole that features a stadium-like atmosphere around an enclosed Par 3.
This prop pits the number of birdies we’ll see on the 16th during Sunday’s final round against the number of first-quarter points we’ll see in the Super Bowl. At the time of writing, the first-quarter total is set at 9.5 points, with the Over juiced to (-130).
But how many fourth-round birdies will we see on Sunday? That’s the tricky question.
While the field for this event will start at 134 players, only the top 65 and ties will make the cut. Last year, 67 players played the weekend, so I’d expect around a similar number of opportunities for birdies on Sunday.
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Per Fantasy National statistics, the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale yields a birdie about 16.7% of the time. So, if you do the math with last year’s sample, you should have seen about 11 birdies.
However, it’s not that simple. The Sunday pin placement is usually the toughest of the four rounds, so some of that data is likely skewed. Per Justin Ray of Twenty First Group, the average proximity of a player’s tee shot to the 16th hole on Sunday has been 30’5" over the past five years — the longest of the tournament’s four days.
Making a 30-foot birdie putt isn’t easy, even for the best golfers on earth, let alone doing so in a raucous environment and at a pressure-packed part of the tournament. For those reasons, I’d take the +1.5 option with the first-quarter points and hope we see a couple of first-drive touchdowns.
Pascal Siakam Points (-130) vs Chiefs Team Total at DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
One of two games on the NBA slate Sunday will see the Toronto Raptors host the Detroit Pistons in an Eastern Conference showdown.
Toronto’s top scorer is power forward Pascal Siakam, who is averaging a career-best 24.7 points per game. This prop is pitting his scoring output for Sunday’s game up against the number of points the Chiefs score in Super Bowl 57.
Kansas City is currently projected for 24.5 points, which is a slightly conservative estimate since Patrick Mahomes and co. led the NFL with 29.2 points per game during the regular season.
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However, that projection is accounting for their matchup against an Eagles defense that surrendered just 20.2 points per game during the regular season and is widely considered one of the league’s most talented units.
The same can’t be said for the Pistons, who allow the second-most points per game in the NBA and have struggled to defend similar athletic bigs like Julius Randle and Anthony Davis.
With a more favorable matchup, I like Siakam to outscore the Chiefs on Sunday.
Flyers Goals (-110) vs Eagles Sacks at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Here’s a fun prop for Philadelphia fans.
The hometown Flyers will host the Seattle Kraken as part of Sunday’s four-game NHL slate, and thankfully a 1 p.m. ET puck drop should be early enough for everyone to still make it to their Super Bowl watch parties on time.
The Flyers should be slight home underdogs against the Kraken, who are among the most improved teams in the NHL this season. Part of the reason for Philadelphia’s struggles this season has been an inability to put the puck in the back of the net, as the Flyers average just 2.75 goals per game.
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Seattle averages 3.06 goals per game allowed, so it’s safe to say that this prop projects Philly’s total for about 3 goals. But can the Eagles defense rack up more than three sacks?
Philadelphia recorded a league-high 70 sacks in 17 regular-season games for an average of 4.1 per game. This dominant defense features four pass-rushers that had 10 or more sacks, which could create plenty of headaches for Kansas City’s offensive line. (This game within the game also features in our top Super Bowl matchups.)
The problem is that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is too smart to sit in the pocket and just get hit. He was sacked three-plus times in just five games this year (including the postseason) and took four sacks just once (in a game that went to overtime).
Even though his mobility may still be limited by his high ankle sprain, expect Mahomes to get the ball out quickly to counteract the Eagles pass rush.
With that in mind, I’ll take my chances with the Flyers outperforming their average on home ice in an afternoon time slot that occasionally produces wonky results.
Connor McDavid Points (+110) vs Patrick Mahomes TD Passes at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Let’s stay on the ice for a fascinating prop that pits the two best athletes in their respective sports against each other.
Oilers forward Connor McDavid is a one-man point machine. Through 51 games, McDavid leads the NHL with 93 points (41 goals, 52 assists) and is currently 17 points clear of the next closest player, his linemate Leon Draisaitl.
On Sunday, the Oilers will travel to Montreal to take on a Canadiens team that struggles to keep the puck out of its own net. Montreal ranks in the bottom five in goals allowed per game (3.71), while Edmonton leads the league in goals per game (3.76).
This matchup is a beauty for McDavid, and we have evidence of that from the previous meeting between these two teams this season, which saw the NHL MVP favorite score two goals and dish out two assists in a 5-3 win.
While Mahomes is equally an all-world talent, the situation is certainly a bit tougher against an Eagles pass defense that has two top-tier cornerbacks in Darius Slay and James Bradberry. Plus, Kansas City is dealing with various injuries to its receiver group and Mahomes may still be affected slightly by his high ankle sprain.
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I could see the Chiefs running the ball more in this game to keep Philadelphia’s pass-rushers honest, and Mahomes has only managed to throw two touchdown passes in each of Kansas City’s playoff games to this point.
I think that’s the floor for McDavid in this matchup with Montreal and another four-point outing is certainly within the realm of possibility.
Manchester United Goals (-115) vs Kenneth Gainwell Receptions at DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell has carved out a more significant role for himself this postseason, but that has predominantly come in the running game as Philadelphia bled the clock in a pair of lopsided victories.
The second-year back has hauled in three receptions on five targets this postseason after making 23 catches on 29 targets during the regular season. Gainwell topped out at four catches in a late-season loss to Dallas and reached three receptions in just two other games.
So, that means we can expect Gainwell’s most likely outcomes to be one or two catches, especially since we should see lead back Miles Sanders command a larger role in the final game of the season. (For more analysis, check out our top Super Bowl props.)
The other half of this prop features Manchester United’s team total for their Sunday match against Leeds United in the Premier League. In an odd case of scheduling re-arrangements, these two teams faced each other on Wednesday, playing to a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.
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This reverse fixture will take place at Leeds, which fired manager Jesse Marsch on Monday and has yet to bring in a full-time replacement.
Despite playing away from home, I think this second matchup sets up better for United, as manager Erik ten Hag will be able to adjust and the team can build off the momentum from its second-half fightback after trailing 2-0 on Wednesday.
United has scored two-plus goals in six straight games and forward Marcus Rashford has been in stellar form, so I’m expecting a two- or three-goal performance on Sunday against a Leeds side that has struggled to keep opponents off the scoresheet over the course of the campaign.
Given the higher ceiling, I’ll back the Red Devils in a head-to-head prop against Gainwell.
