As the Stanford Cardinal get ready for the 2012 Fiesta Bowl, fans have plenty of opportunities to demonstrate just how confident they are in their team. As with any major sporting event, there are numerous odds people can bet on ranging from the point spread and over/under to which player will score the first touchdown. We don't have some of the quality prop bets like we get in the Super Bowl (length of National Anthem, color of gatorade shower on winning coach), but there are still some interesting options.
Stanford remains approximately a four point underdog to the Cowboys, with the line not really moving over the last month. There have been no shocking revelations that would change people's minds on either team. This game features two high profile teams so oddsmakers and the betting public all had an idea of what they liked about this game right off the bat.
The over/under for the game is at 74, which is one of the higher totals in the bowl season. The game features two high profile offenses that can put up points with the best of them. However, Stanford's defense can be a bit underrated at times. They have struggled due to injuries, but they are no push-over. Barring overtime, I actually think the under is a slightly more appealing bet. Of course, that means we'll see a huge shootout, but who knows.
The folks over at Scores and Odds provided some intriguing prop bets for the game. You can bet on the first player to score, with Oklahoma State's Joseph Randle and Justin Blackmon listed as 9-to-2 favorites. Coby Fleener and Stepfan Taylor are 6-to-1 and Andrew Luck is 15-to-1 (his passing TDs don't count for this). If I had to pick a sleeper, I'd go wtih Tyler Gaffney at 12-to-1.
You can also wager on Andrew Luck's passing yardage in a variety of increments. 291-300 yards and 301-310 yards sit as 11-to-2 favorites. In 12 games this season, Luck has cracked 291 yards four times. Oklahoma State can give up passing yardage with the best of them, so oddsmakers would seem to be looking at the Cardinal airing it out a bit more. If I had to pick a sleeper, I'd go with 261-270 passing yards at 10-to-1 odds.
Finally, although you can bet the spread, you can also take more specific prop bets on both the final margin of victory as well as the total points scored.
For more on Stanford and what should be a highly entertaining football game, head over to Rule of Tree.