The Kansas City Chiefs play the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58 at Allegiant Stadium at 5:30 P.M.
Which team is favored in Super Bowl 58?
San Francisco is favored by two, and the over/under is 47.5.
Kansas City Chiefs’ 3 offensive and defensive X-Factors.
Kansas City’s three offensive X-Factors are Isiah Pacheco, Rashee Rice, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Pacheco rushed for 935 yards on 205 attempts and seven touchdowns. He also had 254 yards on 63 attempts and three touchdowns in the playoffs. Despite having the 3rd-best rushing defense, San Francisco struggled in the playoffs, allowing 136 rushing yards to Green Bay and 182 to Detroit.
Rice recorded 79 receptions for 938 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had 20 receptions for 223 yards and one touchdown in the playoffs. Charvarius Ward, one of the best cornerbacks in the league, is expected to cover Rice.
Valdes-Scantling struggled in the regular season, recording 21 receptions for 315 yards and one touchdown. He has played well in the playoffs, with five receptions for 108 yards. His biggest catch came against Baltimore when he hauled in a 32-yard reception on 3rd & 9 to ice the game. Kansas City hopes MVS can provide a spark for their offense by catching a few deep balls.
Kansas City’s three defensive X-Factors are Chris Jones, L’Jarius Sneed, and Trent McDuffie.
Jones recorded 30 tackles, 13 for a loss, 29 QB hits, 10.5 sacks, and four pass deflections. He also had four tackles, four QB hits, 0.5 sacks, two pass deflections, and one forced fumble in the playoffs. Kansas City needs Jones to do what he does best in pressuring the quarterback and to disrupt the running game.
Sneed registered 78 tackles, two interceptions, and 14 pass deflections. He also had 14 tackles, two pass deflections, and one forced fumble in the playoffs. Sneed will have his hands full in the passing game, whether he goes up against Aiyuk or Samuel.
McDuffie recorded 80 tackles, seven pass deflections, and five forced fumbles. He also had nine tackles and four pass deflections in the playoffs. McDuffie is tasked with covering one of their elite wide receivers.
San Francisco 49ers’ 3 offensive and defensive X-Factors.
San Francisco’s three offensive X-Factors are Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle.
McCaffrey rushed for 1,459 yards on 272 carries and 14 touchdowns. He also had 188 yards on 37 carries and four touchdowns in the playoffs. San Francisco needs a big game from McCaffrey to boost their chances of winning.
Aiyuk recorded 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had six receptions for 100 yards and one touchdown in the playoffs. Aiyuk needs to be a major factor in the passing game.
Kittle recorded 65 receptions for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns. He also had six receptions for 108 yards and one touchdown in the playoffs. Kittle is a dangerous receiver in the passing game and will have open looks.
San Francisco’s three defensive X-Factors are Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Charvarius Ward.
Bosa registered 53 tackles, 16 for a loss, 35 QB hits, 10.5 sacks, four pass deflections, and two forced fumbles. He also had six tackles, two for a loss, nine QB hits, and two sacks in the playoffs. The tackle position is Kansas City’s weakest link, and Bosa will have a favorable matchup.
Warner recorded 132 tackles, six for a loss, five QB hits, 2.5 sacks, four interceptions, 11 pass deflections, and four forced fumbles. He also had 20 tackles, two for a loss, and one pass deflection in the playoffs. Warner is one of the best cover linebackers in the league and will likely be on Kelce.
Ward recorded 72 tackles, five interceptions, one pick-six, 23 pass deflections, and one forced fumble. He also had six tackles and one pass deflection in the playoffs. Ward should have a favorable matchup against Kansas City’s wideouts.
1 Offensive and Defensive Key to Victory-Kansas City Chiefs:
Kansas City’s biggest offensive key to victory is throwing the ball consistently. They need a big game from Kelce, Rice, MVS, and Watson. They cannot afford to drop passes against the 14th-best passing defense.
Kansas City’s biggest defensive key to victory is forcing turnovers. San Francisco doesn’t turn the ball often, but they had at least one turnover in their five losses. They turned the ball over once against Cleveland, three times against Minnesota, three times against Cincinnati, five times against Baltimore, and once against Los Angeles.
1 Offensive and Defensive Key to Victory-San Francisco 49ers:
San Francisco’s biggest offensive key to victory is their running game. San Francisco’s offense is built off the running game. They will have a favorable matchup against the 18th-ranked run defense of Kansas City.
San Francisco’s biggest defensive key to victory is sacking the quarterback. Mahomes is one of the best quarterbacks in the league as far as evading sacks. San Francisco needs to turn pressures into sacks. Not having Joe Thuney in their lineup should help their sack numbers increase.
PREDICTION:
I predict that the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers 27-17 because the last time Brock Purdy faced off against a top-3 defense, he threw four interceptions.
Another reason why I predict a Kansas City victory is because San Francisco’s run defense has struggled in the playoffs, and they will find a way to run the ball down their throats.
Finally, it’s difficult to bet against Patrick Mahomes.
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