49ers vs Chiefs Super Bowl LIV Final Betting Preview & Prediction

We’re just a few days away from Super Bowl LIV now, as the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, along with a mob of international media, have descended on Miami for this year’s edition of the most watched sporting event in the world. The Chiefs are making their first appearance in an NFL title game in 50 years, a drought that has frustrated a long-suffering fan base. The Chiefs have only made three conference championships over that time period. The 49ers have a lot more history of success, with five Super Bowl trophies in their case, but this recent iteration represents a significant rebuild from the Jim Harbaugh years. The Chiefs were initially favored by a single point, a line that has climbed to 1.5 points since then. Which team will prevail? Don’t miss our Super Bowl betting preview of this year’s battle for the Lombardi Trophy.

49ers vs Chiefs Super Bowl LIV Final Betting Preview & Prediction

• When: Sunday, February 2nd, 6:30 p.m. ET
• Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
• TV: NBC
• Radio: SiriusXM
• Live Stream: NFL Game Pass
• 49ers vs Chiefs Odds: Kansas City Chiefs -2 (Total 55)

The journey for the Kansas City Chiefs began when the team brought in Andy Reid to coach the team. He had taken the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl, but given some disappointing seasons that came subsequently, the Eagles let him go — and the Chiefs snagged him before he could go sign a contract with the Arizona Cardinals. Kansas City has averaged 11 wins per season since Reid came to town and have owned the AFC West. However, Reid was not enough. Kansas City had Alex Smith at quarterback going into the 2017 draft. He had been a good quarterback in San Francisco before the 49ers let him go; he looked promising in Washington before suffering that gruesome in leg injury. In Kansas City, he led the team to a lot of wins but seemed to lack what it would take to get the Chiefs to elite status.

Patrick Mahomes Era

When the Chiefs moved up to take Patrick Mahomes II in the draft, there were some who thought Mahomes would become the latest Texas Tech quarterback to prosper in a spread offense at the college ranks, only to flame out against the faster defenses of the NFL. However, they got a quarterback who can make crazy throws into tight windows but, more importantly, can look off opposing defenses. That is not something that a lot of those spread-offense quarterbacks learn to do in college, because they just simply go to whichever hot read is open. Mahomes has that throwback skill, which makes him especially dangerous.

Recent History

A third key step in the Chiefs’ evolution came in the aftermath of last season’s disappointment in the AFC Championship, when they lost to the New England Patriots in overtime. Their defense was a shambles; their offense had to carry the weight of the team. So defensive coordinator Bob Sutton was shown the door, and players such as Steven Nelson, Allen Bailey, Eric Berry, Justin Houston and Dee Ford (who returns to the Super Bowl with the 49ers) all left. In the draft they added safety Juan Thornhill, cornerback Rashad Fenton and defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, and they filled in some other holes via free agency, and they have a defense that ranks ahead of San Francisco’s in fewest points permitted per game.

Ground Battle in 49ers vs Chiefs

There are a lot of people who talk about the misdirection running game that San Francisco brings — and that will present some major challenges for the Kansas City defense, which has had a hard time stopping the run. The Chiefs did shut down Derrick Henry, but the Tennessee offense as a whole was not a particularly impressive unit, even during their epic winning streak that pushed them all the way to the AFC Championship.

49ers vs Chiefs Super Bowl LIV Final Betting Prediction

I see this game turning into a back-and-forth affair, although not the type of video-game style track meet that we saw when Kansas City barely lost to the Rams last season, and when the 49ers eked out a win over the Saints earlier this season. I like Kansas City to win on a fourth-quarter drive as Mahomes outduels Jimmy Garoppolo.