The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers face off in what could be a thriller Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. These teams met four years ago in Super Bowl LIV, with the Chiefs coming away victorious, 31-20.
Which team will come out on top this time? We here at The Comeback take our best shot at predicting the Super Bowl LVIII results.
Super Bowl LVIII staff predictions
Matt Clapp: The 49ers are a terrific all-around football team and enter the Super Bowl as 2.5-point favorites for a reason.
However, I couldn’t get myself to bet against Patrick Mahomes on the road vs. a fantastic Ravens team, so I certainly won’t pick against him vs anyone on a neutral field.
Mahomes is just too good, and he’s already gotten it done on the biggest stage twice, winning Super Bowl MVP each time (one of which was vs. the 49ers, of course). The Chiefs’ defense has also been terrific in the postseason, allowing a total of 41 points over the three games vs elite offenses.
I like the combination of Mahomes and the Chiefs’ defense, which led Kansas City to its third championship over the last five years.
Prediction: Chiefs 27, 49ers 24
Arthur Weinstein: Surprisingly, the Chiefs remain underdogs, especially after they went on the road and beat favored Buffalo and then Baltimore to get to the Super Bowl. It just seems like a bad idea to bet against this team. The Chiefs have a nasty defense and an offense that has rebounded after struggling midseason. Andy Reid may one day be acknowledged as the greatest NFL head coach.
And no slight to 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who’s proven he’s for real this season, but Patrick Mahomes is already one of the all-time greats, and he’s playing in his fourth Super Bowl. It just feels like the Chiefs’ defense will give Purdy more trouble than the 49ers give Mahomes. KC wide receiver Rashee Rice has emerged as a star and could have a huge game.
Prediction: Chiefs 31, 49ers 20
Reice Shipley: This year’s Super Bowl between the Chiefs and 49ers profiles to be an extremely close matchup on paper, which I do think will end up being the case on the field.
While the 49ers have potentially been the most impressive team all season long, their performance for much of the NFC Championship Game was a bit concerning to me, relying on a big second-half comeback to come away with the win. Meanwhile, the Chiefs have largely looked extremely impressive throughout much of the postseason.
I believe that the Chiefs are hitting their stride at the exact right time, and the Super Bowl experience from a season ago for much of this team will give them the upper hand in this matchup. Give me the Chiefs to come away with an extremely close victory to secure their back-to-back Super Bowl championships.
Prediction: Kansas City, 23 San Francisco 20
Sam Neumann: I almost picked Kansas City just because I believe Patrick Mahomes is inevitable. But as Jason Kirk once suggested, someone on each panel should deliberately choose the opposite of the unanimous pick to avoid becoming a meme, and on that note, I’ll roll with San Francisco. That’s not entirely why I’m picking the 49ers, though. Battered but unbowed, Kyle Shanahan’s squad stands tall, absorbing punishment and landing decisive blows in contests they seemed destined to lose.
Forget repeating the Ravens’ missteps. Shanahan will stay true to his playbook: a punishing run game led by the league’s most dominant back, Christian McCaffrey, and a talented offensive line. Even if Steve Spagnuolo throws everything at Brock Purdy, stacking the box won’t be enough. McCaffrey will find his lanes, and Purdy will exploit openings when they appear. Don’t forget, Kansas City’s defensive front just lost key player Charles Omenihu, further widening the potential running lanes for McCaffrey.
Despite the Chiefs’ recent momentum, the losses of Omenihu and Joe Thuney loom large. Both players are vital in the trenches for Kansas City, and their absences concern me. While my initial lean was toward the Chiefs, San Francisco’s resilience makes me hesitate. Could this be the year to finish what the 2019 team started? Going against Patrick Mahomes is risky, but something tells me the 49ers might have one final punch left in them.
Prediction: San Francisco 29, Kansas City 23
