Football is a high roller game, and Super Bowl LVIII is set to take place in Las Vegas on Sunday, Feb. 11, as the Kansas City Chiefs return to the big game for their fourth time in five years in an attempt to topple the San Francisco 49ers.
These two foes met right before the COVID-19 pandemic during Super Bowl LIV in 2020, when the Chiefs cruised to a 31-20 victory. This year, San Francisco is currently a two-and-a-half point favorite, according to sportsbook.fanduel.com.
The gambling line has not swayed everyone’s opinion on who they think will come out on top.
“I think the Chiefs are going to win,” said Jonathan Sharp, ’24. “They’re figuring out ways to win when, you know, it looked like they were down this season.”
Sharp is not the only one to favor Kansas City. Guillaume Emiliano Loinard-Gonzalez, ’24, added that it is hard to bet against the Chiefs.
Star talent Patrick Mahomes is solidifying himself as one of the best to ever play quarterback. Into his seventh year in the league, he was the driving force in all of the Chiefs recent title runs. The team’s only Super Bowl loss came against a team that was led by whom many consider the greatest of all time — Tom Brady.
Although it was an exit for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns this postseason, fans of the franchises enjoyed seeing their divisional foe fall short in the American Football Conference championship game.
A Cleveland native, Sharp has jumped on the Chiefs train after the Browns were eliminated.
“It felt great,” Sharp said on the Chiefs’ win over Baltimore. “It would have been a real shot to the heart if Baltimore won and we didn’t get a chance to face them in the playoffs.
Born in Baltimore, Matt Reynolds, ’25, was disappointed witnessing the results of the AFC title game. Since winning a Super Bowl with Joe Flacco in 2013, it has been a quiet 11 years of football for the Ravens in Charm City.
Lamar Jackson is the heart and soul of the team. Not only did the star quarterback lead the way in passing yards this year, but also in total rushing.
Although he threw for more yards than Mahomes, Baltimore was held to just 10 points during the loss. Jackson, who won the Most Valuable Player award in 2019 and is a front runner for the naming rights this year, is just 1-3 in post season play.
“Watching the Ravens lose was probably the worst game I’ve experienced all season,” Reynolds said. “Lamar, well I just feel like everybody could have played better as a whole on the Ravens team, and I guess seeing the Chiefs in another Super Bowl is really frustrating.”
For the 49ers, their path to success almost dissipated during the NFC Championship game. Trailing 24-7 at halftime, San Francisco came roaring back on the Detroit Lions to win 34-31.
It was a perfect way to cap off what has already been a miraculous season for the Bay Area. Brock Purdy began the year as a possible MVP candidate. Although his numbers have fallen off slightly in recent weeks, Purdy has exceeded expectations of being a sophomore quarterback.
Christian McCaffery was finally healthy for a full season, and reestablished himself as an elite running back in the league.
San Francisco also carries a top-level defense, offering high market names in Nick Bosa, Trent Williams and more.
Fans on campus are expecting a good game.
“(Mahomes) is ready to win,” Loinard-Gonzalez said. “But still, San Francisco has been the best team this season, other than the one stupid Baltimore game that they lost.”
Editor’s note: this story went to print before the MVP was announced at the NFL Awards at 9 p.m. on Thursday.
