The Super Bowl is finally upon us. OK, everyone, it's showtime. Well not quite yet but we're now just hours away from the kickoff! Chiefs vs. Buccaneers. Tom Brady versus Patrick Mahomes. The ageless champ versus the reigning champs. Could it get any better than this? You should know by now that Kansas City is a slight favorite in this matchup, even though the game itself will be played in the Buccaneers' own stadium -- a first in Super Bowl history. But in the spirit of welcoming Super Sunday, we decided to take a stab at some bold predictions for the big game.
As Super Bowl LV draws near, here are three:
1. Brady and Mahomes combine for 800 yards, six TDs passing
Brady already owns the record for most passing yards in a Super Bowl, hitting 505 in his 2017 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. It'll take an awful lot for him to replicate those numbers, and even a big game from Patrick Mahomes might not eclipse the combined 2017 mark, considering Nick Foles also threw for 373 in the Eagles' win. But still, we expect the Bucs-Chiefs showdown to be just as, if not more, of a shootout than when the two sides met earlier this season, when they combined for 807 yards in Kansas City's 27-24 win. That's still a really big total, mind you, as it would require Brady and Mahomes to each average 400 yards through the air, as well as three touchdowns apiece. Buckle your seat belts!
2. Bucs, Chiefs go to OT for the second time in Super Bowl history
Believe it or not, only one Super Bowl has ever gone to overtime. Can you guess which quarterback played in that one? Yep, that's right. Tom Brady. In fact, the last OT Super Bowl, which closed the 2016 season, is arguably Brady's best ever: His comeback from down 28-3 to beat the Atlanta Falcons. We could easily see this one ending in regulation (history says that's pretty likely!), but all signs point to it being close, so who's to say the two sides can't give us an extra few minutes of action? The only times Andy Reid and Bruce Arians have gone head-to-head as head coaches, for what it's worth, their respective teams have played three-point games.
3. Brady steals a late lead, but Mahomes hands Chiefs second straight title
The closer this game gets to kicking off, the more difficult it becomes to pick against Brady. Just think about it: If ever he were to prove the naysayers (all three of them) wrong in a Super Bowl, wouldn't it be at age 43, while matched up against the consensus best QB in the league in Mahomes? He'd prove, once and for all, that he reigns supreme -- even against the next generation's closest thing to Brady. It helps that the Chiefs are missing two key starters up front. And yet ... Kansas City is still just too good. While Brady will undoubtedly keep this close and likely take a late lead to nearly claim a seventh ring, Mahomes and Co. will not roll over anywhere nearly as easily as Washington, New Orleans and Green Bay did throughout the postseason. Crown 'em again!
What picks can you make with confidence or the Super Bowl? What props should you make? And what will the exact final score be? Visit SportsLine now to see which picks you should be all over, all from the model that's up nearly $7,900 on its top-rated picks.
