
Super Bowl LVIII Prediction and Pick: Can Brock Purdy, 49ers Start the First Half Hot?
Super Bowl LVIII Prediction and Pick: Can Brock Purdy, 49ers Start the First Half Hot?
Despite how the Kansas City Chiefs looked in the regular season, Patrick Mahomes and co. are back in the Super Bowl. The 49ers avenged their loss in the NFC Championship last season with a win over the Detroit Lions to clinch their spot in Vegas. With both teams having certain angles, the line is very close at -2 in the 49er's direction. However, I think the better edge lies in the first half of this game.
49ERS VS. CHIEFSÂ DATE, TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date:Â February 11, 2024
- Game Time:Â 6:30 pm ET
- Where to Watch:Â CBS
SUPER BOWL LVIIIÂ PREDICTION
The Chiefs have been nearly unstoppable in the second half during their postseason run. In the wild-card round, the Chiefs held the Dolphins scoreless in the second half, ending the second half by a score of 10-0 in their 26-7 win. The next week, they held the Buffalo Bills to seven second-half points and came back from a first-half deficit to win 27-24 after winning the second-half 14-7.
In the AFC Championship, the Chiefs held the Baltimore Ravens to three points in the second half and won 17-10. The Chiefs have given up just one touchdown in the second half in three postseason games during their run to the Super Bowl, and have given up a total of 10 points in the second half combined in their three postseason games. This defense is second to none in half-time adjustments, and this may be an issue for the 49ers.
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Conversely, Brock Purdy and the 49ers have had success in the first half this season. They were fourth in the NFL with 14.8 points in the first half this season. The 49ers gave up just six points to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round without giving up a touchdown before the defense looked a little leaky in the second half. However, in the NFC Championship, the Lions were up 24-7 at halftime before a big second-half collapse.
Steve Spagnuolo (the Chiefs defensive coordinator) has some of the best mid-game adjustments of any coach in the NFL, and he has plenty of big-game experience to make adjustments against the 49ers in this big game. If the 49ers have success in this game, I believe it is in the first half before the Chiefs can make adjustments.
The Chiefs also have the better resume for comebacks, and we have seen Mahomes drive and tie a game in 13 seconds before, so it is very hard to fade the Chiefs +2 for the full game in this spot. Therefore, I am taking the 49ers to be leading at halftime before a potential second-half Chiefs comeback.
SUPER BOWL LVIIIÂ Pick
Pick: 49ers First Half ML -120 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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Article Author
Ben Rajavuori is a handicapper out of Minneapolis, MN. He has been creating sports content for almost four years now and is an expert in all things NFL, MLB, NBA, UFC, and NCAAB. Ben thrives on diving deep into statistics to find the best angle on every bet. You can follow him on Twitter @WeBeatTheSpread.