Sports Illustrated revolutionized how we consume sports, and the legendary brand is continuing to change the game even in the 21st century.
SI teamed up with renowned British sportsbook 888 Sports to create the SI Sportsbook, which is now available and taking bets in a handful of states. Bettors can place most any type of wager on nearly every game around the globe on a day-to-day basis with the SI Online Sportsbook.
Prop bets are among the wagers SI offers on its betting platform, and those are among the most popular wagers to place on sports. Prop bets are wagers that aren’t necessarily tied to the final outcome, and given how unpredictable sports can be, betting props can be a welcome relief in a sea of uncertainty.
But if you’re anxious or been having issues with diving into prop bets, you’ve come to the right place. Here is a look at how to place prop wagers with the Sports Illustrated Online Sportsbook.
How to Do Prop Bets on SI Sportsbook
Step 1: Create an Account or Sign In
You’ll need to sign up for an account with the Sports Illustrated Online Sportsbook. Click through our Get Bonus button above or on the SI Sportsbook review page, then enter any necessary promo code to unlock the best offer.
Remember all sensitive information is secure and only used to affirm your identity.
Step 2: Deposit
Insert your real funds. Remember the payment method with which you deposit is the one you must also withdraw, other than credit cards which are not an eligible withdrawal method. Plus, credit card deposits carry a cash-advance fee, usually $10. Your best bet is to use an e-wallet like PayPal or online bank transfer.
Step 3: Find Your Bet
Consult the sportsbook’s prop betting options, also keeping in mind any potential odds boosts that the sportsbook may offer.
Step 4: Place Your Bet
Tap or click the bet you wish to place. Enter the amount you want to bet. Click “Place Bet" and root for your wager to hit!
Types of Sports Illustrated Prop Bets
There are two main types of prop bets: player props and game props. Game props are wagers that are not tied to the final outcome, like the first-half or first-quarter point spread, moneyline or total. Player props are bets that are related to a player’s final stats or performance.
Player Props
Player props are extremely fun and popular, especially in a same-game parlay setting, since it is fun to cash in on a star or standout player’s great performance, or cashing in when your favorite team holds an elite player under expectations.
For instance, if you’re a Los Angeles Lakers fan, and your team is playing the Golden State Warriors in a hypothetical playoff game, you could wager on Steph Curry to go under his total-points prop or bet LeBron James to go over his in hopes that the Lakers win.
Props have the added bonus that they can still pay out even if the outcome you’re hoping for doesn’t necessarily happen. For instance, if LeBron has a monster game but the Lakers lose, you’ll still win money than if you bet the Lakers to win their moneyline bet.
Game Props
Game props are bets that may not be tied to the final outcome. For example, you can wager on there to be zero first-inning runs in an MLB game or the first-quarter moneyline or spread in an NBA or NFL game.
Every sport has game props, including sports like golf that don’t necessarily have games. Still, betting those props are fun and exciting and can be a great hedge against unforeseen outcomes or bad beats.
Novelty Props
Novelty props are generally aligned with Super Bowl betting since the big game is a prop bettor’s dream. Novelty props include markets like the coin toss, what color Gatorade the winning coach will be doused with or the length of the national anthem.
Team Props
Team props, also known as futures, are wagers tied to a team’s season-long performance. You can wager on a team to win the title, its division, make the playoffs or surpass a total number of wins or points (NHL/soccer) in a season.
Among my favorite prop wagers to hit was when I took the Minnesota Timberwolves to make the playoffs at +610 ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season. They were part of the Western Conference postseason field, and I made a tidy profit as a result.
Draft Props
The NBA and NFL drafts are big business and marquee events for sports bettors. As such, sportsbooks like SI offer draft-related props like an over/under for the number of players selected from an individual school in the first round or the draft position of a specific player. SI will also set odds on which players will be chosen with the first, second and third picks.
Does SI Sportsbook Have Player Props?
Yes. As referred above, the Sports Illustrated Online Sportsbook, gives player props for all games in North American team sports. Here are some examples of player props you can wager with the SI Sportsbook.
- NFL Player First/Anytime Touchdowns
- NFL Over/Unders
- Quarterback passing/rushing yards
- Running back rushing/receiving yards
- Wide receiver receiving yards/receptions
- Kicker field goals
- NCAA Football First/Anytime Touchdown (In states where player props are legal)
- NCAA Football Over/Unders
- Receiver/running back rushing/receiving yards
- NBA Over/Unders
- Player points/assists/rebounds/combos/3-pointers
- NCAA Basketball Over/Unders (In states where player props are legal)
- Player points/rebounds/assists/combos
- MLB Anytime Home Run
- MLB Over/Unders
- Batter Total Bases/RBIs/Runs scored/Hits
- Pitcher Strikeouts/Batters faced
- NHL First/Anytime Goals
- NHL Over/Unders
- Skater points/assists/power-play points/shots/shots blocked
- Goalie saves
Where Are Player Props on SI Sportsbook
Player props are easy to find by clicking on the game you wish to wager and clicking the “player props" tab at the top of the screen. From there you can consult the odds and numbers listed and determine which bet you wish to make.
If you’re unsure what player prop you want to wager, SI offers bettors the opportunity to assess prop numbers and odds for games without placing bets, or without even necessarily having an account.
Sports Illustrated Player Props Rules
All props go live from the minute a plyer enters the game. Most sportsbooks, including SI, will lock betting markets if a player’s status is in doubt, but if something comes up — like an injury in warmups or the player comes down with an illness — player props will be voided.
If the player does not play due to a coach’s decision, that will also result in a player’s prop bets being voided, and your initial stake being returned.
However, if you place a player-prop bet and the player participates for even a few seconds, that bet is live, even if he or she is injured in the first minute.
Sports Illustrated Prop Bets for NFL
The SI Online Sportsbook offers NFL prop wagers for players and games. Here are a few examples of popular prop options:
- Player props: Listed above
- First Drive Result: Bet on each team’s first drive result. Usually the option is punt, touchdown, field goal, turnover or safety.
- Time of First Touchdown: Determine the range in which the first touchdown will be scored.
- First Quarter/Half Moneylines/Spreads/Totals: Bettors can wager on a team to win the first or any quarter of play or the first half or second half.
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is like Christmas for sports bettors, especially those who love prop betting, and the SI Sportsbook will give bettors a vast array of prop-betting options for the big game each February.
SI will offer novelty props, like the ones listed above, and odds for game and player props for every participant who plays in the Super Bowl.
Plus, bettors may also wager on futures, like which teams will face off in the Super Bowl or which will be the team to finally hoist the Lombardi Trophy, year-round.
Best Sports Illustrated Prop Bets
The Sports Illustrated Online Sportsbook gives bettors a slew of boosted props and parlays to consider when placing their daily wagers. Consider any of those options first since boosted props are a more profitable version of the wager you were planning on making anyway.
Target value and do your homework. If you have an edge then you’ll know when a player prop number is too low, or too high for that matter. Fortunately, we at The Game Day produce analytical content for every game every day designed at giving bettors the most information possible before placing their wagers.
The SI Sportsbook also will let you know the most popular wagers in each sport that bettors are placing at that time, which enables users to either follow the flock — or get a sense of what the public is thinking — or bet against the masses.
How to Find the Best Prop Bets
Research. Search for trends. Do certain players tend to play better against a specific opponent, like Kyler Murray or Odell Beckham, Jr. vs. the Cowboys? Does a specific pitcher tend to shut down a star hitter, or does a hitter tend to produce against an ace pitcher?
Be sure to consult injury reports and weather too. A slick field or cold weather can have a huge effect on baseball or football prop wagers. A marquee game-time decision that’s either ruled out or in can affect a game prop or player’s output.
If you have time, consider perusing our game analysis that covers the best bets to make, including props. We won’t steer you wrong (too much).
Prop Bet Strategies
We’ll never advocate a prop bet that is -150 or shorter, unless as a parlay leg, since the odds aren’t worth placing a wager of that length.
Some prop bets, especially in baseball or hockey, will be in the -185 range, and given the potential for an off night or early-game injury — and the fact you’ll need to bet more to win at all — it’s not worth it.
Target market inefficiencies. If there is a prop that looks too low or too high, and your homework and research dictates that’s the case, mash it and reap the benefits.
Football wagers are basically a science, as sportsbooks set extremely accurate lines and numbers and corresponding odds, but there are other sports where prop betting and odds are an inexact science, like basketball, hockey, tennis and soccer. Consider those when prop betting.
Trust your gut and have fun. The best wagers are the ones we love. You won’t want to be talked into a prop bet, particularly since there are dozens available on each game, so if the research matches your gut then dig in and see how it goes.
Prop Betting for Beginners
Dip your toe. You’re going to want to start small and ease your way into prop betting before throwing down thousands of dollars on a risky wager without fully grasping the stakes. There will be good-luck moments, where you fall backwards into the right wager out of sheer fortune, but if those were regular occurrences sportsbooks wouldn’t stay in business.
Trial and error are your friends. You’re going to make mistakes — we’ve all done it — but you will learn by doing. There will be great moments and frustrating ones, but if you keep learning and growing, you’ll do great.
Again, do your homework and target value. Try not to bet an over on an extremely high number — like over 34.5 points scored in a basketball player prop or 320.5 in a passing-yards prop. Sometimes those wagers will hit, but betting on them to is extremely hard, and a slow start can doom the number extremely early.
Why Are Props a Good Bet?
Betting props can be a way to cash in if your vision of the game is wrong. For example, if you were a New England Patriots fan who was hoping they’d win Super Bowl LII, you still would’ve cashed in on Tom Brady’s passing-yards prop even though the Pats lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. If you were an Atlanta Falcons fan betting on Super Bowl LI, you easily would’ve won the first-half moneyline or spread even though they famously blew a huge lead to Brady and the Patriots.
Can Props Be a Bad Bet?
If you play fantasy sports you know an injury to one of your star players can feel personal, and the same can be said when betting player props. There’s nothing that dooms an over player prop like a first-quarter injury or the dreaded early-game cold spell.
With dozens of prop options available in every sport every night, watching a player’s heater run cold on the night you decided to wager can again feel like a personal attack. They’re not. Off nights happen — just the same as a player far exceeding his total if you bet the under. It’s all just part of the action.
What Sports Are Available for Props?
Every sport offers prop betting options. Golf, tennis, hockey, football, basketball, handball. Every one. The volume of available prop wagers may shift from sport to sport, especially at a place like SI, but there will be prop options available to bet.
Is There Bet Insurance on Props?
Sometimes. If a prop bet is part of a qualifying parlay that offers insurance, or a risk-free bet, then you may get reimbursed if your prop doesn’t hit. Bet insurance on prop wagers is usually not an option.
