Make The Pro Bowl Interesting With These Three Bets

Pro Bowl 7:00 ET

Everyone hates on the Pro Bowl, but look there is always a solution to things, and at least they are trying to do something different. Last year was pretty entertaining overall as they did skills challenges and some flag football. Was it as good as a game? No, but it was better than the regular Pro Bowl. Still, we can find a solution to make it interesting for ourselves this weekend as we put a play on some Pro Bowl props. 

Precision Passing (Tonight, February 1, 2024)

This exercise sees six quarterbacks, three from each conference try to hit targets and earn points. The highest cumulative score (all three combined) will be named the winner. Last year, we saw Derek Carr play for the Raiders and win the game for the AFC. This year we have Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield, and Geno Smith playing for the NFC. It looks like Tua Tagovailoa will be the confirmed quarterback for the Dolphins. I assume Lamar Jackson will not be there (I have one report not confirming and another saying he is out) and CJ Stroud as well. If Jackson is out, Gardner Minshew will be the quarterback for the AFC. Starting with the NFC, Hurts had a 65.4% completion rate, Mayfield was at 64.3%, and Smith was at 64.7%. These three guys all ranked at 15th or lower for anyone who was listed in the stats this season. On the AFC Side, Tagovailoa is the highest-ranked of anyone in the competition with 69.3% completion. Stroud is at just 63.9%, and Jackson would be 8th at 67.2%, but he is out, Minshew is 62.2%. While Tua could lead the whole team and replicate Carr’s success, I like the chances that the NFC have in this one. I’ll take the NFC to win this at -110. 

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - JANUARY 07: Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins scrambles out of the pocket during an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on January 7, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

Move the Chains (Sunday)

Finding rosters for each one of these is a bit of a challenge as the coverage for these props/games is even lower than the viewership. In the Move the Chains contest, teams of offensive and defensive linemen collaborate to lift weights off of a wall and then pull a 2,000-pound wall across the finish line. Last year was interesting, to say the least. The strategy for the NFC at first was awful and they adjusted to win the second battle. The third one was close, but ultimately the AFC took it home. In looking at the linemen for both sides, I’d like the NFC if they were going to have their players but we have at least three that are not going to play in the Pro Bowl that I think are important in Zack Martin, Trent Williams, and Nick Bosa. Give me the AFC to win this at -110. 

Flag Football

I actually love Flag Football and find it very interesting that there is essentially a hidden world of flag football players out there I had no idea about. A former colleague of mine had a husband who would do intense training for flag football every year and compete in a huge tournament. She then started playing on a team he coached. It was wild. Now the NFL has adopted this in order to try and make something fun happen. This is a seven-on-seven game, and I’ll tell you right now, the starters should be fun to watch. Tagovailoa throwing the ball to Tyreek Hill in flag football… good luck catching Hill. He also has Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen, and Ja’Marr Chase. I wouldn’t call his running back crew elusive, but they can probably get the job done. On the other side, trying to "tackle" Jalen Hurts might be a challenge for defenses in flag football. If he scrambles, he could make it very tough on them. CeeDee Lamb and Amon-Ra St. Brown should be nice options on the outside, but I want to see DK Metcalf be stopped in this game. I also like Jahmyr Gibbs out of the backfield. Give me the NFC in this one. 

These bets could go 3-0 or 0-3 on the Pro Bowl, I have no idea. I just know I’ll enjoy this more if I choose to watch it with some fun money (meaning nothing serious) on the games. 

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on Twitter: @futureprez2024