In most years, we would be midway through Media Week ahead of the Super Bowl. Players would be alternating between practices and media sessions, as the two teams preparing to play for the Vince Lombardi Trophy would be facing lots of scrutiny — and enjoying the atmosphere of contending for a world championship. In this strange COVID-19 year, though, the Kansas City Chiefs won’t leave for Tampa until tomorrow, when they head to Florida to take on the Buccaneers in their home stadium, a first in the Super Bowl era.
There has not been any shifting in the point spread or point total since our article earlier in the week, so let’s take a look at some of the other NFL betting props you can play on the Super Bowl.
NFL News: Super Bowl LV Midweek Betting Preview
Which team will score first?
Kansas City comes in holding the reputation of the higher-octane offense, but Tampa Bay averaged more points per game this season. Over the last two seasons, the Chiefs have played in five playoff games so far — and they have given up the first score in four of them, with the only exception coming against the Cleveland Browns in this year’s divisional round. The Chiefs have come back to win all four of those games, of course, but as long as the Chiefs are favored here, this is an interesting prop to take the Bucs on. Of course, Kansas City did jump on the Buccaneers back in late November, jumping out to a 17-0 lead, but overall, the Chiefs tend to feel their way into games, at least on offense, before flipping the switch and moving the ball aggressively.
Which team will score last?
When you’re a comeback wizard, like Patrick Mahomes has been, then this is a prop that seems to favor the Chiefs. However, it’s hard to argue that Tom Brady isn’t just as decorated in terms of game-winning drives. Indeed, Brady led the New England Patriots to an overtime win in Kansas City over the Chiefs in the AFC Championship two years ago. Over the last two seasons, though, while Brady’s numbers at throwing the ball down the field have bounced back from 2019 to 2020, his interceptions are a little on the high side. I’d go with the Chiefs to get the last score of the game.
Which team will punt first?
Tampa Bay will load up to stop the Kansas City running game, and I see the Chiefs starting out on the conservative side on offense. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay’s coach Bruce Arians is known for loving to throw the ball down the field and take shots, and he will want to get this game off to a much more successful start than the teams’ meeting during the regular season. Given that combination, especially with the Buccaneers the “favorites” to punt first, I’d think hard about taking Kansas City here.
Which team will score 10 points first?
This prop is available at several point intervals on many different books, and given the propensity that the Chiefs have to score in bunches, it’s hard not to see them as the favorite at each point along the way. But if we look at ten points, and we look at the Chiefs’ track record over the past two seasons, we see the team falling behind early, often by double digits, before waking up and coming back to get the win. In the AFC Championship, Buffalo scored a field goal and then a touchdown after the Chiefs muffed a punt; had the Bills made the extra point, they would have led 10-0. If you can get more value on the Bucs for this prop, this would be an interesting play.
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