{"id":382254,"date":"2025-02-17T17:15:39","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T17:15:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/?post_type=definition&p=382254"},"modified":"2025-02-17T17:15:39","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T17:15:39","slug":"octopus-football","status":"publish","type":"definition","link":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/octopus-football","title":{"rendered":"Octopus Bet (Football)"},"content":{"rendered":"

What exactly is an octopus bet in football? While you could easily be mistaken for thinking fellow bettors have taken a deep dive into marine life during the Monday Night Football, in actual fact this unique term refers to one of the most celebrated and impressive statistics in the NFL.<\/p>\n

Read on to have the octopus football bet explained as we teach you how to wager an octopus football bet, and we\u2019ll reveal the best sportsbooks for betting on one of the most surprising and exciting bet types in football.<\/p>\n

\"NFL<\/p>\n

What is an Octopus in Football?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Originally coined by a sports writer in\u00a0<\/span>Sports Illustrated<\/em>‘s Mitch Goldich in 2019, the term Octopus is used to describe a football player scoring a touchdown and then scoring the subsequent two-point conversion. The famed and immensely exciting octopus has occurred 175 times since 1994.<\/p>\n

This statistic has become such a beloved novelty for football fans that numerous\u00a0<\/span>online sportsbooks<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>now offer octopus football betting markets. The octopus wasn’t possible until 1994, since the two-point conversion hadn’t yet been introduced.<\/p>\n

Why an octopus? What is the meaning of an octopus football bet? Well, a touchdown scores six points and a successful two-point conversion adds up to eight points \u2013 and an octopus has eight tentacles.<\/p>\n

What is a Two-Point Conversion?<\/h3>\n

The two-point conversion rule is a vital consideration when understanding the meaning of an octopus football bet. While the rule originated in college football back in the late 1950s and was adopted by the American Football League, it wasn\u2019t introduced to the NFL until 1994.<\/p>\n

After a touchdown is scored, the scoring team can choose between a one-point conversion by kicking the ball through the uprights, or choose to attempt a two-point conversion by running the ball across the goal line from scrimmage at the two-yard line.<\/p>\n

How Does an Octopus Football Bet Work?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Firstly, it’s very important to note that quarterbacks cannot throw the ball for a touchdown and secure the two points. An octopus prop bet specifically requires a player to secure the ball in the end zone on both the touchdown and the conversion.<\/p>\n

An octopus bet in football can cover a quarterback, but they would need to actually run the ball in themselves before also running in the conversion.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll likely find the octopus market in the \u201cnovelty prop\u201d section of the betting options for an NFL game, but it could fall into both Player Props and Game Props. Popular\u00a0<\/span>US sports betting apps<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>will assign the lowest odds to the option they think is most likely to happen and the longest odds are assigned to the least likely outcome.<\/p>\n

\"Example<\/h3>\n

An Octopus Football Bet Explained<\/h3>\n

Let’s imagine novelty prop wagers with an octopus betting option as the following: \u201cWill there be an octopus at Super Bowl LVIII \u2013 Yes, or No?\u201d. The two possible selections are Yes and No for this type of bet. According to these example odds, the bookmaker thinks there is a 21.79% chance an octopus will actually occur while there is a 78.21% chance there will not be a successful octopus.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n
Will there be an octopus at Super Bowl LVIII?<\/strong><\/td>\nBetting odds<\/strong><\/td>\nPayout from $100 stake<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Yes<\/td>\n+1600<\/td>\n$1,700<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
No<\/td>\n-6000<\/td>\n$101.67<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

How To Place an Octopus Bet<\/span><\/h2>\n

US sportsbooks are intuitively designed to make sports betting easy and that applies to placing an octopus bet too. It only takes a few minutes to sign up, deposit, and then bet on an octopus betting market.<\/p>\n

1. Go to BetOnline<\/h3>\n

Using a smartphone, tablet, or PC device like a laptop or MacBook, go to the BetOnline homepage and click on the green \u201cJoin\u201d button found at the top of the screen.<\/p>\n

\"BetOnline<\/p>\n

2. Complete the sign-up forms<\/h3>\n

Move through the simple web forms by supplying your personal details as required. Details will include your full name, your full address, date of birth and you\u2019ll get to choose a password.<\/p>\n

\"BetOnline<\/p>\n

3. Claim a bonus<\/h3>\n

You’ll get your chance to enter a\u00a0<\/span>BetOnline promo code<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>when you go to deposit. The available codes will be available in the top banner and you can copy one of these.<\/p>\n

\"Cashier<\/p>\n

4. Make a Deposit<\/h3>\n

Go to the cashier section and choose to make a deposit using any of the supported payment methods. Choose how much you wish to deposit and complete the transaction by providing the required payment details, such as an account or card number.<\/p>\n

\"Deposit<\/p>\n

5. Find an Octopus Bet<\/h3>\n

Head to the sportsbook and select the\u00a0<\/span>NFL game you want to bet on<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>there. Search through the markets to find an Octopus football betting market which will usually be located in the \u201cNovelty Props\u201d section of the markets.<\/p>\n

\"Example<\/p>\n

6. Place Your Bet<\/h3>\n

Make a selection by clicking on an outcome which will place the octopus football bet in the bet slip located on the side of the betting window. From within the bet slip, you can control multiple bets if you feel inclined to do so, enter your stake, and finally confirm and place the bet.<\/p>\n

7. Watch the Game<\/h3>\n

All you can do now is sit back and watch the game to see if your prop wagers pay off. You could also try live betting on the NFL at BetOnline too.<\/p>\n

Who Has Scored an Octopus in Football?<\/span><\/h2>\n

There have been 175 successful octopus attempts in the recorded history of the NFL. With only a small handful of players gaining membership to the exclusive multiple octopi club, over 100 players have scored all eight points by themselves. It’s a rare achievement in football, but here are some famous examples.<\/p>\n

Todd Gurley<\/h3>\n

If there was ever a man who could tell you in detail what an octopus in football is it would be Todd Gurley. Significant injuries ended the blistering running back\u2019s career early, but it didn\u2019t stop him from notching the most octopi in history. Gurley claimed four octopi during his stint at the Los Angeles Rams.<\/p>\n

Patrick Mahomes<\/h3>\n

Who says quarterbacks can\u2019t score an octopus? Patrick Mahomes is no stranger to the octopus having successfully scored all eight points by himself in week nine of the 2021\/22 season. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and\u00a0<\/span>2022 MVP<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>ran a 14-yard touchdown against the Tennessee Titans and converted to equalize in a fourth-quarter comeback that saw the Chiefs snatch victory.<\/p>\n

Mark Andrews<\/h3>\n

Back in 2021, the Baltimore Ravens trailed the Indianapolis Colts by 16 points with less than 10 minutes on the clock. That\u2019s when towering tight end Mark Andrews grew eight arms and pulled off an unbelievable double octopus which even featured a blocked field goal attempt in between touchdowns.<\/p>\n

The Ravens went on to win that game, Andrews went down in history, and octopus-betting fans salivated the triumph.<\/p>\n

Jalen Hurts<\/h3>\n

An octopus football bet during Super Bowl 57 paid out up to +1400 and bettors would have been celebrating during the fourth quarter when Jalen Hurts equalized with a rushing touchdown and two-point conversion. This was Hurts\u2019s second successful octopus and it netted him the\u00a0<\/span>Sports Illustrated<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>Octopus of the Year award in 2022.<\/p>\n

Rob Moore and Torrance Small<\/h3>\n

The very first octopus was scored in 1994 and astoundingly, there were two octopi in that game. Both Rob Moore and Torrance Small managed the feat and Moore went on the score another in 1996. Of course, nobody knew what octopus football betting was back then.<\/p>\n

Pros and Cons of Octopus Betting<\/span><\/h2>\n

There is no such thing as a bet without some degree of risk and an octopus bet is no different. However, this novelty\u00a0<\/span>prop bet<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>has a very high potential reward as sportsbooks price one side of the market with rather long odds.<\/p>\n

The octopus is still a fairly new prop market and the opportunity to bet on an octopus is usually reserved for big games, such as the Super Bowl or Conference finals.<\/p>\n

College football prop markets are not allowed in numerous states, which might explain why sportsbooks haven\u2019t bothered offering the octopus novelty prop in other states yet.<\/p>\n

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Pros\u00a0<\/span>\"pros\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

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