The San Francisco 49ers will take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium in Sin City for Super Bowl 58 on February 11th, 2024.
Now let’s see what we’ve learned in the conference championships that might help us with our Super Bowl picks at the top-rated online sportsbooks.
Top 5 Takeaways From the Conference Championships
1. Maturity
If there was one defining moment that told the world that the Baltimore Ravens weren’t ready for their moment in the sun, it was the Zay Flowers taunting penalty.
Baltimore’s rookie first-rounder had just made a spectacular 54-yard reception but instead of hustling back to the huddle, he imperiously stood over veteran corner L’Jarius Sneed, pushed him back to the turf, and spun the ball for good measure.
Flowers was subsequently flagged for a taunting penalty.
This was not a fickle call by the refs, everyone saw it coming, except Flowers, whose magnificent catch was eclipsed only by his lust for the spotlight. The talented rookie would nearly redeem himself two plays later with a 14-yard grab and then snatched a short outlet pass from Jackson and made an eight-yard sprint to the end zone while diving for the plane when the ball was knocked from his outstretched hands for a lost fumble.
But as devastating as that turnover was, I give credit to KC’s defense more than I blame Flowers. However, the taunting call was inexcusable and something we are unlikely to see from either the 49ers or the Chiefs when they meet at Super Bowl 58.
Consider that Baltimore racked up 8 penalties for 95 yards while the Chiefs tallied 3 for 30 and the 49ers were whistled for 3 penalties for 20 yards in their conference championship contests. I expect flags to be at a minimum for these two experienced squads and foolish, unnecessary, penalties will be nowhere to be found.
2. Experience
Yes, maturity and experience are often considered one and the same. However, you could be a mature veteran who never had playoff experience. Such is not the case in this upcoming Super Bowl. Consider for a moment that this rematch from Super Bowl XIV features the following key players who all participated in the big game four years ago:
- Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
- Chiefs TE Travis Kelce
- Chiefs DT Chris Jones
- 49ers TE George Kittle
- 49ers DE Nick Bosa
- 49ers WR Deebo Samuel
We should also note that only the Bills and the Patriots reached the Super Bowl four times during a five-year period, with Kansas City now joining that illustrious club. Moreover, Patrick Mahomes at age 28 will make history as the first quarterback to start four Super Bowls before turning 30 years old. He is also the first quarterback to compete in seven straight playoff games without throwing an interception.
3. Chiefs Win on the Road
Unless the Super Bowl is coincidentally held at one of the participants’ home fields, as occurred two years ago when the Rams defeated the Bengals in their own backyard at SoFi Stadium, teams must, by default, win on the road to claim a Super Bowl title.
But those Super Bowl contests are at a neutral site, and all the naysayers who believed Patrick Mahomes would come undone by not having the crowd support behind him at Arrowhead Stadium last Sunday were proven wrong. Mahomes is a seasoned veteran and he didn’t let the rabid Ravens fans get to him when crunch time appeared.
4. Niners Prove Resilient
The 49ers trailed 24-7 after the first half but their monumental rally on Sunday is the largest halftime deficit ever overcome in NFL conference championship history. As we all know, the Lions were livin‘ large and in charge with a 17-point lead at the half before the Niners scored 27 unanswered points, en route to their 34-31 victory, which they failed to cover as 7-point home chalk.
Needless to say, this will be important to keep in mind when making your live-betting wagers if San Francisco falls behind and the spread becomes increasingly favorable to the NFC champs.
5. Jumping Ahead
If it’s a prop bet you seek, you might want to consider that the Chiefs have scored in eight consecutive opening drives in postseason competition. Should Kansas City take a substantial early lead, it won’t be nearly as likely that the 49ers will be able to dig out of that hole as they did against the inexperienced Detroit Lions.
But for those who may be hanging their hats on the 49ers, Brock Purdy is 4-0 in postseason games that he has started and finished since being selected as the last overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, tagging him with the moniker, Mr. Irrelevant.
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