What would the Super Bowl be without betting and, with that, the office pool?

You can lay a friendly wager on just about anything, ranging from who wins the coin flip, to how long the national anthem takes, to when — if ever — stoic New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick cracks a smile, to the game’s champion.

But if you’re gambling on who will be named most valuable player, smart money is on the quarterbacks.

Quarterbacks have been chosen MVPs of the Super Bowl 29 times, followed by running backs, seven times; wide receivers, six times; and linebackers, four times.

New England’s ageless quarterback, 40-year-old Tom Brady, leads the Super Bowl MVP record with five MVP awards. He is aiming for No. 6 when the Patriots face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Feb. 3, for Super Bowl LIII.

Brady and the Rams’ precocious quarterback, Jared Goff, 24, will be central figures — on the field and among gamblers — for this year’s event at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Last year’s MVP was quarterback Nick Foles of the champion Philadelphia Eagles. Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr was the first MVP in 1967, and again in 1968.

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The main men in protecting right-handed quarterbacks like Brady and Goff are the offensive left tackles on what is known as the “blind side.”

Little guys need not apply.

Jersey No. 77, in size XXXL, is worn by both squads’ left tackles, the Patriots’ Brent Brown and the Rams’ Andrew Whitworth. Brown, out of the University of Florida, is 6-foot-8 and 355 pounds; Whitworth, out of Louisiana State University, is 6-foot-7 and 335 pounds.

Thinking of betting on the big boys? No left tackle has ever been the game’s MVP. However, it’s the “blind side” security that might determine who the MVP will be.

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Two players most likely to be humming “Georgia On My Mind” are the teams’ leading ground gainers. Patriots rookie sensation Sony Michel and Rams top rusher Todd Gurley both hail from the University of Georgia.

Michel, who is of Haitian ancestry, has been brilliant in the postseason, with 242 yards on the ground and five touchdowns. Gurley has enjoyed an All-Pro season but was held to just 13 yards against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC final.

The first running back named Super Bowl MVP was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Franco Harris in 1975. Harris was also the first black MVP.

The most recent ball carrier named MVP was the Dallas Cowboys’ Emmitt Smith in 1994. Betting on a running back for MVP might be a wise idea if you relish long shots.

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James White and Robert Woods, their squad’s top receivers, have common names but exceptional games.

The Patriots’ White, nicknamed “Sweet Feet,” has 87 receptions and is Brady’s preferred target streaking out of the backfield.

The Rams’ Woods has 86 catches for 1,219 yards and is Goff’s deep threat.

The first receiver named MVP was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Lynn Swann in 1976, and the most recent was the Steelers’ Santonio Holmes in 2009.

If you’re thinking of betting on a receiver to become MVP, you might be wise to pass.

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History lesson: The first Super Bowl, played on Jan. 15, 1967, wasn’t even called the “Super Bowl” at the time. It was the AFL-NFL World Championship game.

It wasn’t until 1969 that football’s climactic game got its current name. Kansas City Chiefs’ owner Lamar Hunt is credited with creating the name based on the Super Ball, an ultra-bouncy ball popular among youngsters at the time.

The first Super Bowl — Green Bay 35, Kansas City 10 — wasn’t the big deal it is now. The game was played in daylight like any other game at the time.

The Super Bowl party, rivaling New Year’s Eve and Fourth of July celebrations, didn’t come around until later and continues gathering momentum. Now, since the gala affair coincides with the evening meal, it’s even come to be tagged “Supper Bowl.”

The only thing more traditional on Super Bowl Sunday than the ever-present Patriots, it seems, is a table full of goodies.

Expecting some hungry company Sunday night? Now that’s a sure bet if ever there was one.