5 Super Bowl props to bet early: The ones you'll regret waiting on

As a general rule, if we're betting anything early, it's with the idea that the line will change between now and the start of the game. Otherwise, what's the rush?

For Super Bowl LVI, here are five prop bets you shouldn't wait on before they change, either in price or what's needed to win the wager.

Cam Akers over 64.5 rush yards

Apparently, a pair of crushing fumbles that almost cost the Rams their season in Tampa didn't deter Sean McVay. He had enough faith in Cam Akers to give him a starter's workload last week in the NFC Championship Game. In the box score, where a lot of prop totals are influenced, Akers only had 13 carries for 48 yards. However, he left for a portion of the game due to a shoulder issue.

This line is built on Akers not being able to cash the over against two top rush defenses in the 49ers and Buccaneers. It's also built on the Bengals not getting gashed on the ground by a singular running back so far in the playoffs. However, they've given up more than five yards per carry to their collective opponents: Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, D'Onta Foreman, Jerick McKinnon, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

With two weeks to heal his banged-up shoulder, and likely needing fewer than 15 carries to get over this total, bet on Akers before the market realizes this is a plus matchup.

Total made field goals: Over 3.5 (+133)

I'm not sure why this is priced with the under significantly juiced. But there's a chance that gets rectified, at the very least due to the obvious range of Evan McPherson. The Rams are unlikely to take a big enough lead that would prevent the Bengals from "taking the points." And, with his first chance to kick indoors since Nov. 21, McPherson's range should be expanded.

For the Rams, Matt Gay's range isn't where it should be due to a nagging injury, but that hasn't stopped McVay from sending him out there. Notoriously conservative, both McVay's fourth-down decision-making and the Rams' third-down play-calling force them into field-goal attempts. Given how well the two coaches know each other, points may be at a premium, so I think there's a better than 50/50 chance we see more than three field goals. I'll bet this prop now rather than wait to see the odds tighten closer to a coin flip.

Any Rams player to win MVP

The Rams' moneyline and point spread are slowly creeping up, and a few of their derivative prices are going with it. However, this has yet to be reflected in the MVP odds. I discussed here why I like Cooper Kupp at +600. He's a prime candidate to see his odds shorten between now and kickoff, but this theory could apply to everyone, from the favorite - Matthew Stafford - to Super Bowl L MVP Von Miller, to a handful of other Rams defenders.

The long shots you like

There's a long list of props that show up or get attention only for the Super Bowl. Many of these are priced to get the recreational bettor to wager on the long shot or a plus price, even if the odds don't fairly reflect probability. I'm not going to tell you not to bet these, because sometimes things like, "Will there be a safety?" end up coming through. However, if you're going to wager on something like this, do so early before all the other bettors that are looking for a stroke of luck pile in and cause the price to drop on an already minus-expected-value bet.

The national anthem

Arguably the biggest story in the prop-betting universe going into last year's Super Bowl was a very public leak of an anthem rehearsal. It was timed, and the line moved drastically before quickly being taken off the board, ruining all the fun.

Timing the anthem is a tried and true moment of pregame joy on social media or in the social setting of a Super Bowl party. So, while there may not be an edge for how long the song will be sung, even the most veteran bettors have been known to join the public to let their hair down and bet the over/under on the length of the "Star-Spangled Banner."

Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.

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