2026 Super Bowl Odds: Brief History of the Novel Octopus Prop Bet

There’s a veritable sea of Super Bowl prop bets available at sportsbooks across the nation. So perhaps it’s only natural that the Octopus has found its place in that ocean. What’s the Octopus, you might ask? It’s when a player scores a touchdown, then scores the subsequent two-point conversion. So, one player scoring eight points on the same drive. Thankfully, Mitch Goldich did back in 2018, while working for Sports Illustrated. On a fine fall football Sunday, Goldich saw something that piqued his interest during the Panthers-Commanders game. So he tweeted about it. “There should be a cool name for what Torrey Smith just did. … What should we call this?” Goldich’s friend, Mike Wallace, suggested Octopus. And the legend of the Octopus has taken off ever since. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Eight-Point Play It was Oct. 14, 2018. Carolina was on the road against Washington, and the Panthers trailed 20-9 in the fourth quarter. With 8:32 remaining, Torrey Smith caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Cam Newton, pulling the Panthers within five at 20-15. An extra point would still have Carolina down four and needing a touchdown. So the Panthers went for two, and Newton again connected with Smith to make it 20-17. That prompted Goldich’s tweet, his buddy’s suggestion and ultimately, another way to bet on the NFL. Over the past few years, the Octopus’ popularity has climbed. Each year, more sportsbooks add this Yes/No market to their Super Bowl prop bets menu. The Octopus will surely be well-bet for Sunday’s Patriots vs. Seahawks showdown. “I think the prop is here to stay,” Goldich said. “These things seem like they only move in one direction, and places like to have as big a prop menu as possible. So as more people learn about it, I’d be surprised to see it stop getting offered.” One Date With Eight So far, the Octopus has only cashed in one Super Bowl. In the 2022-23 season finale, Eagles vs. Chiefs played out in a way that created the opportunity. Trailing 35-27 in Super Bowl 57, the Eagles got a Jalen Hurts 2-yard TD run with 5:15 remaining to draw within 35-33. Going for two to tie the game was a no-brainer. And Hurts ultimately ran it in, securing the first Super Bowl Octopus (Philly still ended up losing 38-35 on a final-second field goal). “It just began as this silly little thing, and it’s grown to where it actually happened in the Super Bowl. And I was in the stadium,” Goldich said, noting he won that Octopus bet at odds of +1400 (14/1). Side note: I won on Hurts’ Octopus, as well, and celebrated with fellow FOX Sports betting analyst Sam Panayotovich, among others: However, the Octopus didn’t hit in Super Bowls 58 or 59, and the 2025-26 season has seen a dearth of Octopi. “There were only three all season, which is the fewest since 2011,” Goldich said, noting there’s now an Octopus tracker available. By contrast, the 2024-25 season saw the Octopus occur eight times, though none in the playoffs. Just Say Yes Mind you, betting Yes on the Octopus is not enticing to sharp bettors. It’s a square bet, no question. It rarely hits, and as noted above, it’s only happened once in the Super Bowl. But when it does deliver, the payout sure is nice. In Super Bowl 60 odds, The SuperBook has the Octopus prop at Yes +1600/No -6000. A $100 Yes bet would net $1,600 in profit, while it would take $6,000 on No just to win $100. “People do play the No, but that’s not how I want to live my life,” Goldich said. So, can Patriots-Seahawks generate the rare Octopus? “It’s so hard to handicap the chances in one game,” Goldich said. “The total is a little low (45.5), which you’d think would mean fewer chances for one. But if a team kicks two field goals, they may want to go for two to make up a point they need. “Odds say no, but I’ve shared my philosophy: I hit it at 14/1 in Super Bowl 57. So even if I lose the bet 14 years in a row, I can still say I broke even.” As can I. So I’m on Octopus Yes +1600. For the second time in four years, let’s hope eight is great.