Britton Colquitt. Brad Nortman.
There you have it. This is probably the first article you've ever read in your entire life with the names of two punters right there, front and center at the very top.
It's easy to make the joke that "punters are people too," but when you're talking about the Super Bowl, it's just as easy to make money on them as it is any other player or group of players on the field.
You can find a full slate of Super Bowl prop odds at BookMaker.eu.
BookMaker has installed a prop for the total number of punts at the Super Bowl at an even 10. Vig on the under is set at -140.
Nortman may as well show up late to games for the Panthers. He hasn't had to make a punt in the first quarter of a game in the postseason, and he only has a total of three punts in the first halves of the two games against Seattle and Arizona combined.
Carolina's offense is largely remembered for being one of the most explosive in the NFL thanks to Cam Newton. However, there are also still plenty of long stretches of time where this offense gets super conservative and ends up punting a ton. It isn't a mistake that Nortman has punted at least seven times in three games this year and at least five times in six games.
The worry for over bettors here is that Nortman has only averaged 3.6 punts per game in his last eight games dating back to the regular season, and the Panthers have scored at least 31 points all but once time since that point.
Colquitt though, has been an awfully busy man of late. He's punted 15 times already in the postseason, and Gary Kubiak has made no bones about the fact that he'd rather send out his punting unit and give his defense a chance to make a stand than to get risky by either going for it on fourth down or trying a long field goal with Brandon McManus (see, you got a kicker's name in this article, too!).
Colquitt has had 14 games out of 18 with at least five punts, and there's a good bet that he'll get to at least five this time around as well with the Denver offense being so conservative.
There are a couple other major factors to consider here as well. From Denver's perspective, the benefit isn't there of playing at Mile High with the altitude. Peyton Manning's passes are likely to be a bit wobbly, especially if the wind kicks up off of the San Francisco Bay, and that could create more punting opportunities. It's also less likely that Kubiak is going to call on McManus in this one from even 50 yards at one of the toughest stadiums in the NFL to kick field goals at.
The Panthers have the issue of going up against the best defense in the NFL. Sure, the argument could be made that the Seahawks presented a heck of a challenge as well, but let's not forget that Carolina did punt the ball five times against Seattle in spite of the fact that it jumped out to that 31-0 halftime lead.
The Broncos forced 92 punts in the regular season and another 12 in the playoffs. The pace of game has been incredibly slow for the most part, and that could force Nortman onto the field early and often.
Ten is a lot of punts, especially in a game of this magnitude, but after watching the Super Bowl manage to get to 10 punts last year even with all of the scoring that went on, particularly in the second and fourth quarters, we're confident that there will be enough punts early as there were last year to push this prop at least to the number, if not clear past it.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos will take place Sunday, February 7, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. ET at Levi's Stadium. Super Bowl 50 will be televised on CBS.
