Here’s what the Vegas odds say about the Chiefs-Buccaneers Super Bowl matchup
Minutes after the Chiefs won their first Super Bowl in 50 years, they were already the favorites to win another. Already the favorites to have a much shorter wait for their next.
A collection of Vegas sportsbooks posted championship odds as Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt hoisted the Lombardi Trophy at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami last February, and the Chiefs topped their lists.
They haven’t budged since.
So why start now?
The Chiefs opened as a 3 1/2-point favorite against the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl, even though it’s virtually a road game. The Buccaneers will be the first team in NFL history to play a Super Bowl inside their home stadium. But they’ll do it as an underdog.
The Chiefs opened the NFL season at 6-to-1 to win a second straight Super Bowl, meaning those who wagered $100 on those odds before the season would cash in a $600 profit if they win. And most think they’ll do just that. The majority of the early money has been placed on the Chiefs to cover the 3 1/2-point line.
If this line seems a bit familiar, well, it should. The Chiefs were favored by the exact same margin the last time these two teams met — in Week 12 of the regular season. The Chiefs led by 17, but back-to-back fourth quarter touchdowns gave the Buccaneers a backdoor cover. The Chiefs won 27-24.
In case you haven’t heard, the game will feature Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady. The two are 2-2 in head-to-head matchups, and they’re evenly split against the spread, too.
They’re also the overwhelming favorites to take home the Super Bowl most valuable player honors. Patrick Mahomes is listed at an even 1-to-1 to win the game’s MVP award for a second straight year. Brady is next in line at 2-to-1. Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce are a distant third at 12-to-1 for MVP, and no other player is listed at better than 25-to-1. In other words, if a quarterback doesn’t win the game’s MVP award, it could lead to a pretty good payout.
The over/under for the Super Bowl is 57 points, and if it closes at that amount on Feb. 7, it would tie the second-highest over/under in Super bowl history. New England, then led by Brady, and Atlanta were projected for 57 1/2 four years ago.
The Chiefs are 8-10 against the spread this season, including the playoffs, after coasting to a cover in last week’s 38-24 AFC Championship Game win against the Bills. They were favored by just 3 1/2.
The Buccaneers are 11-8 against the spread this season. They opened the year tied for third in Super Bowl odds, listed at 12-to-1. The Packers were second at 9-to-1.
A little history: the Super Bowl favorite is only 6-13 against the spread in the last 19 years. But one of those six is the Chiefs — they were only favored by 1 1/2 points against the 49ers last season.
This story was originally published January 26, 2021 at 1:59 PM with the headline "Here’s what the Vegas odds say about the Chiefs-Buccaneers Super Bowl matchup."