Super Bowl 61 Prop Odds: How Many Players Will Attempt a Pass?

Few novelty markets draw as much Super Bowl action as the total number of players who throw a pass. Sportsbooks usually hang the number at 2.5, so the over needs someone beyond the two starting quarterbacks to put the ball in the air, whether that’s a skill player on a trick play or a backup signal-caller who sees the field.

Super Bowl LXI kicks off Sunday, February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It will be the venue’s second Super Bowl, after the Los Angeles Rams edged the Cincinnati Bengals there in Super Bowl LVI. Lines for this prop typically go up once the AFC and NFC Championship Games decide who’s playing.

Bettors have leaned hard on the over in recent years. DraftKings has described the “yes” side as one of the most-bet props on its Super Bowl board, and it has cashed in two of the last three title games. Kenny Pickett’s lone fourth-quarter throw for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX was enough to push the count to three, while Super Bowl LX finished with only Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks and Drake Maye of the New England Patriots throwing the ball.

Super Bowl 61 odds: Will three players throw a pass?

Expect this market to open after the conference title games, with the over almost always priced as the underdog. Ahead of Super Bowl LX, DraftKings listed three or more passers at +160 and exactly two at -205. LegalSportsReport will add Super Bowl LXI prices from FanDuel Sportsbook and other leading books as soon as they post.

The starting point is straightforward. Both starting quarterbacks are virtually certain to throw at least once, which covers two of the three passers the over needs. The bet comes down to whether a third player, on either sideline, records an official pass attempt. There are two realistic ways that happens.

A backup quarterback takes snaps

An injury, a lopsided score or an ineffective starter can all bring the No. 2 quarterback onto the field. A one-play cameo might end in a handoff or a kneel-down, but any extended stretch makes a throw likely. Pickett’s attempt for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX came exactly this way, late in a 40-22 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs.

A trick play or fake gets called

Nearly every offense carries a gadget play that lets a running back or receiver throw. Fake punts and fake field goals open another door, since a punter, holder or kicker can end up as the passer. One successful call is all the over requires.

Settlement follows the official box score. A throw erased by a penalty doesn’t count, and neither does a backward lateral, so check your sportsbook’s house rules before placing this bet.

Third passers in recent Super Bowls

Across the past 12 Super Bowls, a third passer has shown up four times, a 33% hit rate. Three of those four came in the last five games, so the recent trend has tilted toward the over even after Super Bowl LX stayed under.

The over rarely needs much. Trey Burton’s touchdown toss to Nick Foles on the Philadelphia Eagles’ “Philly Special” in Super Bowl LII and Joe Mixon’s scoring throw to Tee Higgins for the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI were both designed calls. Two years later, Jauan Jennings of the San Francisco 49ers hit Christian McCaffrey for a 21-yard touchdown. Pickett’s incompletion in Super Bowl LIX is the reminder that a late backup appearance pays out just the same as a highlight-reel score.

The championship stage gives trick plays a natural boost. Coaching staffs get two weeks to install new looks, and with no future games to protect, there’s little reason to keep a gadget call in reserve. Still, eight of the past dozen title games finished with only the two starters throwing, so the under remains the more common outcome over the long run.

Several of these markets don’t post until both Super Bowl LXI teams are known, so check back as February 14 approaches for fresh prices.