NFL | Feb 05, 2024

Super Bowl LVIII Preview and Best Odds

By Harry Bazley

USATSI 22394979

Super Bowl 2024 is finally upon us. This Sunday 11th of February, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will head to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to face off in the biggest game of the year.

There's no event quite like the Super Bowl, from the millions watching around the world to the celebrity appearances and electric halftime shows. With all that attention, comes plenty of trips to the sportsbooks as fans look to cash in on the action. Last year, over $153 million dollars was bet on the 2023 Super Bowl. Now, the big game is moving to Sin City - the home of gambling - and we can only imagine how much will be wagered.

Whether you're travelling to Vegas, watching from home, or simply looking to place a few bets, we've got you covered. Today, we'll be going through everything you need to know about Super Bowl LVIII from the key details to a full breakdown of the matchup and most of all, the best odds you can find on the market.

Key Details

  • Date: Sunday Feb 11, 2024

  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. PST

  • Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada.

  • US Broadcast: CBS and Paramount+

  • UK Broadcast: Sky Sports, ITV and DAZN NFL Gamepass

Chiefs Preview

The Kansas City Chiefs are reigning champs, aiming to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles for the first time since the New England Patriots achieved the feat in 2003 and 2004. This will be the Chief's fourth appearance on the big stage in the last five years, all with Patrick Mahomes at the helm.

No.15 has seen more than his fair share of playoff football. Since becoming the starter in KC, Mahomes has been to six consecutive AFC Championship Games, with his only two losses coming at the hands of Tom Brady and Joe Burrow. He's also tied for the third most playoff wins by any quarterback with 14 (only Tom Brady and Joe Monatana have more to their name).

Now, that's quite an impressive record for the 28-year old, but this time, he'll be stepping up to the plate with a very different supporting cast. Without Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs have filled the gap with less experienced receivers that showed their youth throughout the year. Mahomes was struggling to move the ball with regularly dropped passes and a less productive Travis Kelce than he's used to. But that all changed in the playoffs, where Mahomes has completed 70% of his passes and thrown 11 touchdowns with no interceptions and that's down to two players stepping up when it mattered most.

First is Travis Kelce, who has been a reliable target over the years, and despite an 8-week absence from the end zone to close out the regular season, he's been back to his old ways in the playoffs. In the Conference Round, Kelce logged 11 receptions on 11 targets for 116 yards and a touchdown, and with that performance, he broke Jerry Rice's record for the most playoff catches in history. The Mahomes-Kelce connection is never stronger than in the playoffs and will need to play a key role this weekend if Kansas wants to come out on top.

Second is Rashee Rice, who has been hitting headlines for dropped passes and missed opportunities all year. That all changed in the Divisional Round, where he hauled in 8 targets for 130 yards and a touchdown on the way to a 26-7 win over Miami.

Meanwhile, the defense has been thriving in recent weeks. Versus two of the most explosive and dangerous offenses in the league, they've allowed just two touchdowns in eight quarters. They held Tua Tagovailoa to under 200 passing yards, and kept Raheem Mostert to only 33 yards on the ground. Lamar Jackson did a better job moving the ball, but the Chiefs stopping unit came up clutch in the red zone, forcing a goal-line fumble and an end zone pick to seal the win. The big question is, can they stop the 49ers - a team with stars all over the field?

49ers Preview

The 49ers are returning to the big game for the first time since 2020 where they lost to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV, but this time they'll be fielding a very different roster.

The big story is Brock Purdy. The final pick in the 2022 draft is now the starting quarterback in the Super Bowl. And I'm sure we've all seen the accusations that he's merely a 'system QB' or 'game manager', but I want to take a second to put that to rest. So, here are some things to consider:

During the 2023/24 regular season, Brock Purdy led the NFL in yards per attempt, yards per completion, first downs per attempt, passer rating, total EPA, success rate and total QBR. He was also a top 5 quarterback in the following categories (measured by QBR): versus man coverage, when blitzed, when not blitzed, when pressured, when not pressured, in the pocket, in the red zone, in the fourth quarter and on third down.

Not to mention, he led a 17-point comeback win vs Detroit last week to secure a spot in Super Bowl 58. If all of that isn't enough to convince you that San Francisco has a seriously talented signal caller on their hands, I don't know what is.

There's no denying Purdy has a star-studded cast surrounding him - with the likes of George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel - but it takes a consistently poised and accurate quarterback to lead any team, let alone lead them to the Super Bowl in your second year in the league.

And backing up this impressive passing game is the potential MVP Christian McCaffrey. CMC was already a top-rated rusher in Carolina, but he's been on a whole new level since joining the ranks in San Fran. With an elite offensive line clearing the path, McCaffrey has put up a league leading 1,459 yards and tied for the most touchdowns with 21. If there's one thing that's certain in any Niners matchup, it's that No.23 is going to eat.

The other side of the ball has had a very solid season, with names like Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw leading the way, but they've been wavering in the playoffs. In the NFC Championship game, the Lions put together a 17 point lead on the Niners in just two quarters and through no fault but their own, they blew it in the second half with questionable play calls from Dan Campbell and dropped passes on crucial plays. So, unless the Chiefs shoot themselves in the foot, they should be able to put up some points on this secondary.

Now, with such a star-studded roster, it's no surprise to see San Francisco as the favorites to win Super Bowl LVIII. But if there's one thing you can never count out, it's the magic of Patrick Mahomes in the postseason, so the sportsbooks have only given the Niners a slight edge...

Best Super Bowl Odds

Moneyline:

Team Odds Sportsbook
49ers -125 DraftKings
Chiefs +110 FanDuel


Spread:

Team Spread Odds Sportsbook
49ers -2 -105 DraftKings
Chiefs +2 -110 BetMGM


Total Points:

Points Total Odds Sportsbook
Over 47.5 -110 WynnBet
Under 47.5 -108 DraftKings


So, can the 49ers get revenge over KC? Or will the Chiefs dynasty continue to roll on?

Tell us which way you're betting on the Super Bowl over on Twitter or Instagram.

(Header Image Credit: Geoff Burke - USA TODAY Sports)