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Super Bowl LVIII should be a great game that crowns a deserving winner.
The Kansas City Chiefs are here due to the inevitability of NFL Thanos Patrick Mahomes and Steve Spagnuolo’s awesome defense.
The San Francisco 49ers punched their ticket by beating every NFC playoff picture team at some point this season.
For those who already have an obvious rooting interest, congrats and good luck!
For the rest of us, here’s an activity aimed to add more fun to following along on Sunday.
Stephen Serda and I came up with 15 over/under props and made our picks for them on this week’s TGIFootball podcast episode for The SB Nation NFL Show.
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Here we go!
1 – Chiefs/49ers combined non-QB pass attempts: 0.5
Will we see either team get tricky and call upon a skill player to throw? Or perhaps run a fake punt or fake field goal?
2 – Elijah Mitchell rushing yards: 3.5
Just how heavily will the 49ers rely on Christian McCaffrey? Will his backup have an impact at all?
3 – WTF Andy Reid timeouts: 0.5
Big Red is a great head coach but he isn’t exactly known for being create at clock management. He has a tendency to unnecessarily burn timeouts earlier than he ideally should.
4 – Patrick Mahomes rushing yards: 26.5
The Chiefs quarterback has a penchant for using his legs in high-leverage scenarios to really frustrate opposing defenses.
5 – Kyle Shanahan obvious cowardly field goal kicks or punt decisions: 1.5
The 49ers head coach can be too conservative at times.
6 – Chase Young sacks: 0.25
The former No. 2 overall pick hasn’t had a sack since Christmas. This would be a good time for the pending free agent to step up.
7 – Total sum of touchdown scorer jersey numbers: 121.5
You might want to get a calculator for this one. If you think Travis Kelce (No. 87) and George Kittle (No. 85) both find the end zone, you’ll want to take the over. But the under could win if instead it’s a big day for the likes of Rashee Rice (No. 4), Isiah Pacheco (No. 10), Brandon Aiyuk (No. 11), or Deebo Samuel (No. 19).
8 – Chris Jones sacks: 0.25
In what might be his final game with the Chiefs, Jones has an opportunity to finish his time with KC on a high note.
9 – Touchdowns produced by a player who played for both 49ers and Chiefs: 0.5
Blake Bell, Chris Conley, Blaine Gabbert (passing TD counts here), Richie James, Jerick McKinnon and Charvarius Ward are all potentially eligible. The under certainly seems more likely … but there’s a chance to get an edge over your competitors with the over hitting.
10 – Marquez Valdes-Scantling receiving yards: 18.5
MVS has made some clutch plays for the Chiefs, such as his game-sealing reception in the AFC Championship Game. But he can also disappear, like when he had just one target for zero receptions in last year’s Super Bowl.
11 – Points scored by not a touchdown, field goal, or traditional extra point kick: 1.5
The point here is to either root for or against a more rare scoring opportunity. A two-point conversion, a safety. Or something really esoteric like a fair-catch kick or a drop kick! Maybe even a nearly impossible one-point safety!
12 – Isiah Pacheco receptions: 2.5
Will the Chiefs get their top running back involved in the passing game?
13 – Players who score an octopus: 0.5
During last year’s Super Bowl, Jalen Hurts scored on a Brotherly Shove touchdown and then again on a two-point try the next play. He accounted for eight total points in one possession, which has been referred to as an “octopus.” Do you think it happens again this year?
14 – Patrick Mahomes consecutive pass completions: 7.5
On one hand, he’s Patrick Mahomes. It’s hard to bet against him. Then again, the 49ers’ defense can be disruptive. And the Chiefs have been plagued by drops this season.
15 – Which team’s quarterback will take the final snap of the game: Chiefs or 49ers?
OK, so not a true over/under, but you get the idea. There’s multiple ways this one can go, depending on who you think wins and how they do it. Is there a team lining up in victory formation to run out the clock? Is there a team pursuing a lead during the game’s final seconds? Scroll down and leave your prediction in the comment section below.
