Super Bowl National Anthem Odds
Update: Action Network recorded Chris Stapleton's national anthem at 2 minutes, 2 seconds.
Odds for the length of the national anthem before Chiefs vs. Eagles at Super Bowl 57 range anywhere from 119.5 to 127 seconds, depending on where you choose to bet the prop.
FanDuel offered a 119.5 number earlier this week that has since been removed from the oddsboard. In the 24 hours leading up to kickoff, you will likely find odds hovering around 126.5 (-130o / +110u).
That line is exceptionally high. Contrast it with the last season’s line, which closed around 100 seconds for Mickey Guyton’s rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
So, what gives? Why the extra 26.5 seconds this year? And most importantly, should you trust your gut and hammer the over? (You know you want to.) Or instead, is the sharp side on the under?
The answers to these questions begin and end with the performer, Chris Stapleton – a unique and highly accomplished artist who likely will deliver a performance unlike any we’ve witnessed in recent years.
Stapleton is well-known and well-regarded for several things: His vocal timbre, unique and genre-blending style, his characteristically gravely vocal tone, blues-inspired guitar playing, and elite songwriting — to list a few.
Yes, Stapleton is a country artist. But that classification does not do Stapleton justice. His music is inspired by classic country artists – but also by the blues in equal measure. Moreover, Stapleton’s vocal tone, melisma and vibrato elicit comparisons to soul.
Stapleton’s unique vocal fry is the single, defining characteristic that is most striking about his artistry. However, at the heart of who he is, Stapleton is a guitar player – a musician more than a singer; a songwriter more than a performer. His music comes from his hands.
This assertion is further reinforced by Stapleton’s personal testimony. Check out this 27-second YouTube video posted by Go Country 105 – Los Angeles on Friday:
Stapleton remarks — quote, “I’m going to go out there and play – and play like I would play it. If that’s a twist, then so be it.”
He does not say, “I’m going to go out there and sing it.” He says, “I’m going to go out there and play it.”
This is a guitarist, ladies and gentlemen. This is a guitarist thinking first and foremost about his fingers, not his vocal cords. And he’s going to deliver a national anthem that is designed for guitar to be highly expressive.
To illustrate what that might look like, consider the following clip of Gary Clark Jr. — a renowned modern blues artist — who performed the national anthem exclusively on guitar:
The unofficial length of Clark Jr.’s national anthem linked above? 130 seconds.
If you scour the internet, you will find several other performances from blues guitarists — some accompanied by vocals, and some without vocals at all — but it is very rare to find examples that go under the listed total of 126.5 seconds.
Add to this Stapleton’s masterful vocal skill, his stylistic preference to embrace rhythmic space between vocal phrases and the gospel-inspired, call-and-response that he frequently utilizes between his voice (call) and fingertips (response) — and you have a potent recipe for an over bet.
Pick: Over 126.5 seconds | Bet up to over 132 seconds at even money
