Prop Bet (Proposition Bet)

A prop bet, short for proposition bet, is a wager on a specific event or statistical outcome within a game that does not necessarily relate to the final score or result. Prop bets allow bettors to focus on individual performances, specific in-game occurrences, or novelty outcomes rather than simply picking which team wins or whether the total goes over or under. They have become enormously popular in modern sports betting, particularly around high-profile events like the Super Bowl, where sportsbooks may offer hundreds of different prop markets for a single game.

Prop bets are generally divided into two categories: player props and game props. Player props focus on an individual athlete’s statistical performance, such as how many passing yards a quarterback will throw for or how many rebounds a basketball player will grab. Game props center on team-level or game-level events, such as which team will score first, whether there will be a safety in a football game, or the total number of three-pointers made by both teams combined.

Example

For an NBA game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, a sportsbook offers the following player prop:

• Giannis Antetokounmpo over/under 30.5 points
• Over 30.5 at -115 (decimal odds 1.87)
• Under 30.5 at -105 (decimal odds 1.95)

You believe Giannis will have a strong scoring night and place $40 on over 30.5 points at -115. If Giannis scores 31 or more points, your bet wins and you collect approximately $74.78 in total ($34.78 profit). If he scores 30 or fewer, you lose your $40 stake. Importantly, the outcome of this bet has nothing to do with whether the Bucks win or lose the game.

Key Points

• Independent of the final outcome: Prop bets are settled based on their own specific criteria. A player prop can win even if the player’s team loses, and a game prop is evaluated separately from the final score.
• Wide variety of markets: Sportsbooks offer props on passing yards, touchdowns, assists, strikeouts, shots on goal, and countless other statistical categories, giving bettors many options beyond traditional game lines.
• Player props are the most popular form: Individual performance bets have grown rapidly in popularity and now account for a significant share of total handle at many sportsbooks, especially in the NFL and NBA.
• Novelty props exist for major events: For events like the Super Bowl, sportsbooks often release entertainment or novelty props, such as the length of the national anthem or the color of the halftime performer’s outfit. These are more casual and less analytically driven.
• Research and matchup analysis matter: Successful prop betting often involves studying factors like opponent defensive rankings, pace of play, recent player workloads, and injury reports, since these variables directly impact individual and game-level statistical outcomes.