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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
John Holler

The 5 best bets for Super Bowl LVIII

In the postseason, those who have bet on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have gone to the pay window many more times than not. As such, many are jumping on the chance of getting the Chiefs and a couple of points. Those who bet against Mahomes in the postseason do so at their own peril as he continues to cement his legacy as one of the GOATs.

That all said, these are the two teams most deserving to be in the biggest game of the year, and the San Francisco 49ers are being viewed by most of the talking heads as being the underdogs. In a rematch of Super Bowl LIV, the 49ers have many more players in critical positions than the Chiefs. Kansas City has three – Mahomes, Travis Kelce-Swift and Chris Jones. San Francisco has seven – Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk on offense and Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw on defense.

As these bets will show, that veteran revenge factor weighs into all of them.

Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook

5
Take San Francisco 49ers and lay 2 points (-110)

Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

As difficult as it is to pick Mahomes to lose, giving him points – even if it is just two – is unseemly. But, if you’re in on one, you’re in on all. Laying two points has meant virtually nothing in the Super Bowl if you’re right on who wins. In over a half-century, the only exception to the rule was Super Bowl XXV – “wide right.” If you’re in on the team you think is going to win, history tells you the winning team asked to cover two points has hit 98.2% of the time.

4
Take San Francisco 49ers on the moneyline (-130)

Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The most basic bet known to man. Who’s gonna win? The money is coming in on the other side of this bet. The Chiefs are +110 when the bet calls simply for a winner. You should be confident getting a better number laying two points in a game that can’t finished tied. If you think the Niners are going to win, there shouldn’t be any reason to think they’ll win by one point.

3
Take San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey as the Super Bowl MVP (+450)

Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Most of the bets shown here are based on the premise that the 49ers will be able to take advantage of the Chiefs’ most obvious weakness – run defense. The Chiefs allowed 4.5 yards a rush against everyone they faced. Now, they’re facing the most prolific back in the league. Until the Chiefs stop him consistently, the 49ers are going to play a lot of Run CMC. If the 49ers win, it’s likely Brock Purdy or McCaffrey. QBs typically get the trophy, but if McCaffrey has 25 touches and the Niners win, the MVP is his.

2
San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Take OVER 47.5 points (-110)

Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

There are too many scenarios in which points get on the board to ignore the possibility of this number being too low. The Chiefs are going for immortality. The 49ers are looking for revenge. Everyone hopes the game will be back-and-forth and exciting. But there is the potential for both teams to get momentum and keep their foot on the gas. It may take a wild finish to do it, but neither team has to hit 30 points to accomplish this.

1
Pick the final score: San Francisco 49ers 27, Kansas City Chiefs 24 (+6600)

Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

When asked to assign a score to a game, this was the first one that came to mind. Six touchdowns. A couple of field goals until the third one wins it. It looks good on paper, but this bet is asking you to pull two numbers out of a hat. The projection of 27-24 is actually one of the lowest return numbers to investment – and that has a return of $660 on a $10 bet. This bet is the ultimate dart throw, but it’s the making of betting legend. This may be the most fun you have – pick five disparate numbers at low investment and eliminate the scenario to hit as the game goes on.


Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.

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