Dumping Gatorade on the winning coach in the Super Bowl didn’t start as a tradition in the big game. However, since certain books started offering prop bets on what color Gatorade would be dumped over the unsuspecting coach’s head, it has become one of the most talked about props to highlight how many options there are to bet on the Super Bowl. The Gatorade Color prop bet isn’t one that may be necessarily easy to find.
Some people looking at NFL odds will see that their states forbid betting on that type of wager. If you can find the odds, either at a legal book or offshore, it’s a fun side bet to keep fans engaged in case the game is a blowout or the game is long decided before the clock finally hits double zero. Here’s a look at the history of the tradition and some potential betting angles.
The tradition didn’t start in the Super Bowl
New York Giants nose tackle Jim Burt decided to get back at Bill Parcells following an Oct. 28, 1984, win on the NFL schedule over the Washington Redskins. Parcells had given Burt a hard time in practice, and when Parcells wasn’t paying attention, he dumbed a cooler of Gatorade on his head after the team won. The Giants didn’t end up winning the Super Bowl that season.
However, NFL player stats show that Burt and Harry Carson continued to do so every game through the 1984 and 1985 seasons. When the Giants finally broke through and won the Super Bowl in 1986, New York celebrated its first Super Bowl by dumping orange liquid over Parcells’ head.
While Parcells wasn’t happy initially, Gatorade was happy with the free advertising and ended up forming a profitable partnership with the coach.
Gatorade dump has been inconsistent
The good thing about the Gatorade color prop bet is that no one has ended up on the NFL injury report as a result of it. However, since the initial tradition started at Super Bowl XXI, there have been eight instances where no Gatorade was dumped at all. Clear has been the most frequent color, having been dumped eight times.
However, anyone looking at Super Bowl odds and predictions will see clear hasn’t been used since Super Bowl XLII. Orange is the second most frequent, having been dumped six times. During the past two seasons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams both used blue Gatorade.
Chiefs and Eagles know how to party
One thing that’s nice about the matchup in the Super Bowl this season is both teams have had recent runs to the big game. While NFL MVP odds show that Nick Foles brought home the hardware in Super Bowl LII against the Patriots for the Eagles, Philadelphia dumped yellow Gatorade on coach Doug Pederson.
However, a lot has changed in the City of Brotherly Love since then. Pederson was fired and moved on to be the coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kansas City is also no stranger to the big stage. Kansas City won Super Bowl LIV by beating the San Francisco 49ers. The Chiefs celebrated by coating long-time coach Andy Reid in an orange bath.
NFL team stats show that orange has been the color of the Gatorade dumped in five of the past 13 years.
Orange has opened up as the favorites
NFL odds will likely move on this bet as people fish for more information. When it comes to the Gatorade color prop bet, that is one that people could have inside information on. Partially due to the Chiefs previously using orange and the recent streak for the color, orange has opened as a +300 favorite.
Yellow (+300), blue (+375), clear (+400), red (+500), and purple (+800) are also options. The coach has gotten a Gatorade bath in five straight Super Bowls. The last coach to avoid the tradition was Bill Belichick, who didn’t have anything dumped on him after winning Super Bowl LI.
When it comes to NFL picks and parlays, the Gatorade color prop bet is fun for casual bettors who just want a little non-traditional action on an event where every bet under the sun will be offered.
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