This is one of the newer prop bet terms floating around NFL betting and we had a few people ask us about it during last season so here is what it means.
The short version
An octopus is when a single player scores a touchdown and then scores the two point conversion on the same play sequence.
Touchdown plus two point conversion, same player, same drive.
That is an octopus.
The name comes from the eight points that the combination is worth.
Touchdown is six, two point conversion is two, six plus two equals eight.
Eight legs on an octopus.
That is where the name comes from and yes it is a bit of a stretch but it stuck.
How often does it actually happen?
Not very often which is what makes it an interesting bet. Two point conversions themselves are not called that frequently in the NFL and when they are called the ball does not always go to the same player who scored the touchdown.
So you need a few things to line up. First the team has to score a touchdown.
Then the coach has to decide to go for two instead of kicking the extra point.
Then the play has to be designed for or end up in the hands of the same guy who just scored.
It happens a few times a season across the entire league but it is far from common.
How to bet on it
Some sportsbooks now offer an octopus prop bet on individual NFL games.
It is usually a simple yes or no market.
Will there be an octopus scored in this game? Yes typically pays somewhere around +900 to +1500 depending on the matchup and the sportsbook.
You can also find player specific octopus props at some books where you bet on a particular player to score one which pays even longer odds.
The games where an octopus is most likely to happen are the ones where you expect a lot of scoring and aggressive coaching.
A blowout where the losing team is chasing the game late and going for two on every touchdown is a decent spot to look for it.
Playoff games and the Super Bowl are also popular for octopus bets because the stakes are higher and coaches are more willing to take risks.
A fun long shot bet
We like throwing a couple of bucks on the octopus market during big NFL games.
It almost never hits but when it does the payout is solid and it gives you something extra to watch for in the fourth quarter.
Hard to beat the feeling of screaming at the TV for a coach to go for two when you have an octopus bet sitting in your account.
