Sports

Keys will nail the anthem; Simms light on ‘Harbaugh’

Just as Super Bowl eats over the years have evolved from chips and dip and six-foot subs, the prop bets have gotten more interesting as well.

Now you no longer have to settle for sweating out the length of the national anthem with your stopwatch in hand. I’m going to punt on whether Alicia Keys goes Over or Under 2:15 with her rendition. The outcome’s always within a few seconds and is sometimes even disputed. Instead, I’ll grab the Bovada.lv propostion that Keys will not forget or omit (-200) a word from the “Star-Spangled Banner.” After 2011’s Super Bowl debacle with Christina Aguilera and the Beyonce lip-synch flap at the inauguration, the bet here is the girl nails it, fair and square.

Some other props involve the Harbaughs. Betting that Papa Jack will be shown more than 11/2 times (-140) but that the name “Harbaugh” will be mentioned less than 201/2 times in the game broadcast. Phil Simms is more apt to be talking about the players than the coaches.

As for the game, Colin Kaepernick is the likely MVP if the 49ers win, so you have to cover him as the 7-4 favorite. But if the Ravens snuff out his run option and force him to throw, Michael Crabtree is a good bet at 14-1 to amass the stats to get it. If you like the Ravens, you can take a shot with Anquan Boldin (16-1) and Torrey Smith (20-1).

Some others:

l Joe Flacco will have Over 250 passing yards.

l Kaepernick’s longest completion will be Over 371/2 yards.

l Torrey Smith will have more receptions than Sidney Crosby has shots on goal against the Capitals.

l Kaepernick’s longest rush will be more than Steve Young’s longest (21 yards) in Super Bowl XXIX.