The Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet Sunday, February 7 in NFL Super Bowl LV action from Raymond James Stadium.
Kansas City finished off the regular season at 14-2 overall. The Chiefs dispatched the Bitemns and Bills on their way to the championship matchup. As for Tampa Bay, they went 11-5 this year, taking out Washington, New Orleans and Green Bay to earn a trip to the Super Bowl. Check back all season long for free NFL picks at Sports Chat Place.
Kansas City had a nice run in the regular season, winning four straight before a Week 5 loss to Las Vegas, then another 10 straight before a Week 17 loss to the Chargers. The Chiefs took out Cleveland in the Divisional Round 22-17, then dispatched Buffalo in the AFC Championship 38-24 on January 24.
In the win over the Bills, Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes posted 325 yards with three touchdowns, and Darrel Williams had 52 yards and a TD on 13 carries. Tyreek Hill (nine catches; 172 yards) and Travis Kelce (13 catches; 118 yards; two TD) were the top Chiefs receivers.
Over on the Tampa Bay side, they had a strong regular season as well, finishing off with four straight wins. In the playoff this year, the Buccaneers ran through Washington 31-23 in the Wild Card, the Saints 30-20 in the Divisional Round, and the Packers 31-26 in the NFC Championship.
In the victory over the Packers, Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady put up 280 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Leonard Fournette posted 55 yards and a TD, and Chris Godwin added 110 yards off five receptions.
The Chiefs are 4-1 ATS in their last five playoff games as a favorite and 9-4-1 ATS in their last 14 games after an ATS win. Kansas City is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games overall and 2-7 ATS in their last nine as a favorite.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay is 4-0 ATS in their last four games as an underdog and 5-2 ATS versus a team with a winning record. The Bucs are 4-1 ATS in their last five overall and 4-1 ATS in their last five after a straight-up win.
PICK: I’m going to take a shot on Tampa Bay here. All things considered, this should be a great Super Bowl matchup. The last time these teams met up was November 29, and the Chiefs recorded a 27-24 victory (leading 27-10 after three quarters). Mahomes (462 yards; 3 TDs) and Hill (13 catches; 269 yards; 3 TDs) dominated the KC scoring, and the teams put up a combined 960 yards of total offense. I think this will be a similar affair: a relatively higher-scoring game and a tight finish. Should be another good one, and I think the Bucs can eke into a cover.