What Is A Betting Octopus In Football With 3 Strategies (original) (raw)
What is a Betting Octopus
Do you know exactly what is a betting octopus? While you can simply be mistaken for thinking fellow bettors have taken a deep dive into marine life in the Monday Night Football, in fact, this term refers to one of the most celebrated and attractive statistics in the NFL.
Keep reading to have the octopus football bet explained as we will cover everything about it in football betting.
Understanding What is a Betting Octopus
For those of you who are looking to learn how to bet football online, what is a betting octopus is a simple market to figure out. It is a term that was invented by Sports Illustrated’s Mitch Goldich in 2018.
An octopus in football betting refers to when a player scores a touchdown and the subsequent 2-point conversion. So, importantly, the player scores a total of 8 points on the similar drive. Hence, the name “Octus” is a sea creature with eight tentacles.
The concept of the “Octopus” itself came about in 1994 with the introduction of the 2-point conversion. Since then, this betting type appeared only 188 times in NFL history, showing its rarity. Considering how uncommon an octopus in football betting can be, the prop bets often command high odds on the top sports betting apps.
Remember that for what is a betting octopus to be complete, the similar player has to score the touchdown and the following 2-point conversion. Passing touchdowns don’t count for the rushing or receiving player scoring the 2-point conversion.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Rarely happen, so the odds and payouts remain high | The winning chances an octopus bet are low |
| A thrilling experience | Mostly offered in big games only, like the Super Bowl |
| It will help you make a strategic approach to betting | |
| It will sharpen your analysis skills |
A 2-Point Conversion In The NFL
As we mentioned above, an NFL bettor has to know the meaning of a 2-point conversion. The 2-point conversion rule has been applied in college football since the 1950s and was later implemented by the American Football League (AFL). However, its scoring rule only became active in the NFL 1994.
Generally, a 2-point conversion is a scoring option a team chooses after scoring a touchdown. It carries more risk and reward than the classic 1-point conversion. For a 2-point conversion, the team will attempt a play from the 2-yard line, expecting to get the ball into the endzone, just like scoring another touchdown.
To win what is a betting octopus, the similar player has to score both a touchdown and a 2-point attempt on a single drive. The quarterback who will throw the touchdown pass can’t score an octopus even when he runs for the 2-point play.
How Does an Octopus Bet Work in Football?
As you already know what is a betting octopus, let’s figure out how it works in football betting. Firstly, it is very important to remember that quarterbacks can’t throw the ball for a touchdown and secure the 2-points. An octopus bet requires a player to secure the ball in the endzone on both the conversion and touchdown.
Moreover, an octopus bet can cover the quarterback, however, they will need to actually run the ball in themselves before also running in the conversion. The octopus market is usually located in the “novelty prop” area of the NFL betting options.
Popular sports betting online casinos will offer the lowest odds to the option they think is the most likely to occur and the longest odds are offered to the least likely result.
Octopus in Sports Betting Site
Players That Have Scored an Octopus in the NFL
Over 190 players have scored on what is a betting octopus since introducing the 2-point conversion in 1994. Below are 3 top players who recently scored on an 8-point play in football betting octopus.
Patrick Mahomes
It is no surprise to know Patrick Mahomes on this list. With 3 Super Bowl titles and 4 Super Bowl appearances since 2018, he is considered one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.
Surprisingly, this legendary player only has scored octopus in his name. This regular octopus came in a Week 9 clash between the Chiefs and the Titans in the 2022/23 NFL season.
Moreover, Mahome’s 8-point haul brought the game level, inspiring his side to a win in the end. The quarterback scored both the touchdown and 2-point conversion by rushing the ball into the endzone, and not throwing a pass.
Travis Etienne Jr
To know more about what is a betting octopus, Travis Etienne Kr, a running back for the Jackson Jaguars, is another player who has scored the rare feat of an octopus in the NFL.
During Week 7 of the 2022/23 NFL season, he scored an octopus, giving his side a 1-point lead against the New York Giants. Sadly, his 8-point haul couldn’t affect the Jaguars to a win because they lost 17-23.
Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts burst onto the scene in 2022 after leading the Philadelphia Eagles to their conference’s top seed. He also brought the Eagles to the Super Bowl LVII that season and scored an octopus in the big game against the Chiefs. It was a monumental one, as the player became the first player to achieve an octopus in Super Bowl history.
With the Eagles straggling late in the 4th quarter, Jalen Hurts delivered a Super Bowl octopus to level the scores. Sadly, in the end of what is a betting octopus, Philadelphia still lost the game to the Chiefs.
Strategies of Placing an Octopus Bet in Football
From what is a betting octopus, it is what every sports bettor dreams of seeing. It is an unlikely occurrence yet an average of 6 octopus plays are successful per year. To help you be among those who win an octopus, we have compiled our hottest strategies for octopus betting below.
1. Look out for Previous Octopus
First strategy for what is a betting octopus, some players have scored an octopus on multiple events and some even in similar games. It means there is an opportunity for a player with a previous octopus to pull off another one.
2. Check for the Teams with 2-point Conversion Rate
In 2022, 5 teams had a 100% 2-point conversion rate and the percentage dropped drastically with 15 teams at 33.33% or less. It is unlikely a team with a low conversion rate will pull off an octopus when they struggle to score the 2-point conversion in the first place. In fact, they are less likely to even get 2-point conversion.
3. Avoid Regular Novelty Betting
The next tip of what is a betting octopus, experienced bettors will tell you this bet is a novelty for a reason. The odds are extremely long that it will benefit a responsible. Small bet, however, it is obviously not a market you will regularly drop big stakes on.
Final Words
In conclusion, learning what is a betting octopus is important for sport bettors, especially if you are new. It is a term to indicate a player scores a touchdown and the subsequent 2-point conversion. If you are interested in placing a bet in this betting type, you can follow our strategies to increase winning chance.