Super Bowl 51, looking at the odds and what to bet on

The excitement is already building towards Super Bowl 51 which is due to take place on February 5 2017 at the NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas. The big question is, which two teams will be contesting it? The Super Bowl is a huge event when it comes to sports viewing; Super Bowl 50 attracted a viewing average of 111.9 million. It's also a massive draw for sports bettors.

Of course, there is vast betting interest in the actual outcome of the game but that is far from being all you can bet on when it comes to the Super Bowl. We are going to take a look at some of the odds for teams winning the Super Bowl as well as examining some of the more unusual bets you may want to consider should betting on the winner not be for you.

Who will win the Super Bowl, what are the odds?

Of course you can never tell who is going to win the Super Bowl but you can get a good idea who is in with a chance by studying form and by checking out the betting odds throughout the season. If you are looking for a team that stands a good chance of being victorious at Super Bowl 51 then you should generally check out teams that have odds of +$2,000 or less. To give you some idea, here are the starting prices for the winners over the last few years.

• Super Bowl 50 - Denver Broncos starting odds were +$1,000
• Super Bowl 49 - New England Patriots starting odds were +$1,500
• Super Bowl 48 - Seattle Seahawks starting odds were +$1,200
• Super Bowl 47 - Baltimore Ravens starting odds were +$1,200
• Super Bowl 46 - New York Giants starting odds were +$1,500
• Super Bowl 45 - Green Bay Packers starting odds were +$1,200
• Super Bowl 44 - New Orleans Saints starting odds were $2,500
• Super Bowl 43 - Pittsburgh Steelers starting odds were $1,800

If you want to place a bet on some of these teams this year, the New England Patriots currently have odds of around +$450, the Green Bay Packers have odds of around +$800 and betting on the Steelers you will find odds of around +$900. Some of these odds may look good to you, but you have other choices when it comes to betting on Super Bowl 51.

What are the more unusual bets you can find?

You would be amazed at just how diverse betting around Super Bowl can be. We took a look at the betting around last year' game, to give you an idea of the myriad of options you have when it comes to placing a bet. Here are some of last year' choices:

• Will there be an earthquake during the game?
• How many times during the broadcast will the Golden Gate Bridge be shown?
• What colour will the liquid be that is poured for the winning coach?
• How long will the singing of the national anthem be?
• What will Beyoncé wear on her feet?

As you can see, there are plenty of Super Bowl bets that have absolutely nothing to do with football. Placing a bet is not just about winning; it' about joining in with the fun of the occasion.