What Is A Prop Bet?
A prop bet, also known as “proposition bet” or just "prop", is a wager on a specific event or statistic happening within the game, not necessarily tied to the final result. The main idea of a prop bet is to focus on a specific player or team hitting a specific stat like receptions in a game, total team points, or even the result of the coin flip.
Props come in two main categories:
- Team Props – Like “Will Iowa score in every quarter?” or “Will either team return a kickoff for a touchdown?”
- Player Props – Like “Over/under 250.5 passing yards for the quarterback” or “First player to score a touchdown.”
You’re not betting on the games outcome — you’re betting on specific events inside the game. You can use any sportsbook promo and bonus in Iowa on a prop bet.
Where to Find Prop Bets
Every IA sportsbook has some sort of prop bet available. Once you click on a game in DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, etc., scroll past the main lines (spread, moneyline, total). You’ll find sections like:
- Player Props
- Game Props
- Scoring Props
- 1st Quarter/1st Half Props
- Same Game Parlays (which often include props)
You can also use the search function in many apps to type in a player’s name and pull up their props quickly.
Examples of Iowa-Specific Props
Let’s say the Iowa State Cyclones are playing the Kansas State Wildcats, and you find yourself at an establishment on Welch Ave.
Instead of betting on the Cyclones winning by -4.5, you go with:
- Iowa State to score first (+110)
- Total rushing yards by Iowa State RB Over 72.5
- Will there be a defensive touchdown? Yes (+300)
Each of those is a prop. They give you action on specific parts of the game — and they can cash even if your team loses. If you're feeling really confident, and betting responsibly, you can even parlay them all together if you want.
Important note for betting on props in Iowa: You can’t bet on player props involving Iowa-based college athletes, due to state gambling laws. That means no props on individual Hawkeyes or Cyclones players — but you can bet on team-level props or player props in pro games.
FAQ
Yes — but not on individual players from Iowa-based schools. You can still bet props on the specific team outcomes such as Iowa State scoring over 2.5 touchdowns in a game against Texas Tech.
Yes, you're able to use prop bets in parlays. Some sportsbooks limit the type of prop bets that can all be included; experiment with the prop bets you want to place to determine what the sportsbook will and won't allow.
An example of a prop bet is "Will the Hawkeyes score over/under 21 points". Another example is a player prop such as "Justin Jefferson 7+ receptions".
The status of your prop bet depending if a player gets hurt, or doesn't play at all, is dependent on the sportsbook. It's solely at the discretion of the sportsbook whether the prop bet is a "push", or voided, or stays live and you take a loss.
Author
Tyler Olson has lived most of his life in Iowa, working in sports media for over a decade, writing and editing primarily NFL, sports betting, and iGaming content. His primary focus is giving sports bettors the most up-to-date information on legal operators, sharing the latest promo code offerings and analyzing team and player odds bettors can place bets on.