Who Will Win Super Bowl LV?
After a long wait, we finally know which teams will be facing each other in the 55th Super Bowl on February 7 at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
The defending Super Bowl champions, Kansas City Chiefs, will take on the NFC champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
With no team having played a Super Bowl at its own stadium before, perhaps the Buccaneers have an advantage. But with the Chiefs being the Super Bowl LIV champions, they are sure to do everything they can to hold on to the title. Let us take a closer look at whether the Kansas City Chiefs or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are likely to come out on top at Super Bowl LV.
Which team is the favorite?
There are various ways to bet on Super Bowl LV, and each bookmaker has slightly different odds. However, generally, early odds show the money-lines for the Buccaneers are around +145 to +150 while the Chiefs are around -165 to -170. Most pundits and experts agree that the Chiefs are the favorites to win Super Bowl LV, but only with a small margin. But whether their predictions will come true remains to be seen.
How do the two teams compare?
The Kansas City Chiefs went 14-2 in the 2020 season under coach Andy Reid. They won the AFC West Division title in addition to gaining the best regular-season record in the NFL. On their way to Super Bowl LV, the Chiefs defeated the Cleveland Browns in the Divisional round 22-17 and won against the Buffalo Bills 38-24 in the AFC Championship Game to win their second Lamar Hunt Trophy. Super Bowl LV marks the Kansas City Chiefs fourth Super Bowl appearance, having lost Super Bowl I but won Super Bowl IV and Super Bowl LIV. So, not only do the Chiefs want to secure their second Super Bowl in a row. They are also looking to achieve their third Super Bowl title.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished the current season with an 11-5 record under coach Bruce Arians. The 2020 season saw Tampa defeating Washington Football Team 31-23 in the Wild Card round, and New Orleans Saints 30-20 in the Divisional round. The Buccaneers went on to defeat NFC number one seed Green Bay Packers 31-26 to secure their place at Super Bowl LV. This year will be only the second time the Buccaneers have appeared at the Super Bowl tournament, after their 2003 win at the Super Bowl XXXVII when they beat Oakland Raiders 48-21.
The Chiefs and the Buccaneers already faced each other in Week 12 of the competition, also at Tampa’s stadium. The Chiefs had a great start, leading 17-0 in the first quarter, but their performance soon dwindled and allowed the Bucs to get back into the game. However, Kansas City still managed to win by the narrow margin of 27-24.
Super Bowl LV’s Result Could Be on the Quarterbacks’ Shoulders
Tampa’s Tom Brady is unquestionably one of the all-time great quarterbacks but the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes is the current reigning Super Bowl Most Valuable Player. The two, who will meet for the fifth time at the 55th Super Bowl, are literally at opposite ends of the spectrum. Brady has the experience and ability to come out on top. Furthermore, the tournament marks Brady’s record-breaking tenth Super Bowl appearance, so he is sure to put up a fight. However, Mahomes has the talent of throwing the ball a mile and making plays with his strong legs, and he has quickly risen to be one of the game’s greatest players. The result of Super Bowl LV could well come down to the individual battle between these two legendary quarterbacks.