What is an octopus in a football game? We explain this popular novelty prop bet and just how likely an octopus will be during Super Bowl 57.
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Online sports wagering has grown year-on-year in the United States since its inception in New Jersey back in 2018. What people could never have predicted is the emergence of some new and, quite frankly, peculiar prop bets.
You can wager on almost everything these days. When it comes to the Super Bowl, you can bet on the color of the gatorade shower at the end of the game, the coin toss prior to the game, and even the half time show right in the middle. The opportunities are almost endless…
And now, introducing the octopus. No, not the sea animal. It’s a brand new statistic that has gripped football fans and has become one of the newest novelty props to appear in Super Bowl betting markets.
What is an Octopus in Football?
An octopus in a football game is the term used to describe when the same player scores a touchdown and the following two-point conversion. It doesn’t happen too often in the NFL.
Why is it Called an Octopus in Football?
The octopus involves eight points (6 for a touchdown plus 2 for the two-point conversion). This is why the two phases of play have been combined and branded as an octopus.
This interesting concept is a very new one. The term was first used by Mitch Goldich during the 2019 season and has stuck among NFL fans and sports bettors.
How Many Octopuses Have There Been in NFL History?
Between 1994 and the end of the 2021/2022 season, there had been an octopus 169 times in NFL history. The two-point conversion was introduced in 1994, which means that an octopus could not be recorded prior to this.
The Los Angles Rams and the Green Bay Packers have recorded the most octopi in the NFL. A strange, but impressive, statistic to be top of the league for…
Has There Ever Been an Octopus in the Super Bowl?
Yes, the first ever Super Bowl octopus was scored at Super Bowl 57 in February 2023. It was Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts who scored it following his third touchdown of the game.
DraftKings and FanDuel were offering +1400 odds on there being an Octopus at Super Bowl LVII. You would’ve received a decent payout if you wagered!
To this date, there has only been one octopus in Super Bowl history.
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Who Was the Last Player to Score an Octopus?
The last NFL octopus was scored by Jordan Akins on January 8, 2023. The Houston Texans tight end scored a 28-yard touchdown against the Colts and followed it up with a 2-point conversion.
Before that, Jalen Hurts was last to score an octopus in football. Hurts recorded an NFL octopus on December 18, 2022 vs. the Chicago Bears.
The Octopus: Novelty Super Bowl Prop
Everyone is asking what is an octopus in football? And what does the increased use of the term ‘octopus’ mean. Well, it means that it is slowly appearing more often at the online sportsbooks.
Can you bet on an octopus to occur in the Super Bowl? Absolutely. Here are the current octopus odds for Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles (via DraftKings):
Current Octopus Super Bowl Odds:
| Current Odds | Want to Bet On It? | |
| Yes (there will be an octopus in Super Bowl 57) | +1400 | Click Here |
| No (there will not be an octopus in Super Bowl 57) | -10000 | Click Here |
As shown by the odds above, a $10 wager on there being an octopus in Super Bowl LVII could win $140. A $10 wager on there being no octopus is as safe as it gets – it would earn you just $0.10 profit.
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