Super Bowl 2019: Latest Odds and Predictions for Biggest Stars

Super Bowl LIII is rife with opportunity for rematches. While many are clamoring for the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams to reenact Week 11's Monday Night Football game, NFL historians would probably like to see the Rams play the New England Patriots to try to avenge losing Super Bowl XXXVI.

Among those rooting for a Patriots-Rams Super Bowl is Hall of Fame running back and former Ram Eric Dickerson. Dickerson appeared on Fox Sports 1's Undisputed on Monday and said the Patriots "cheated" the team 17 years ago.

New England's last-second victory in Super Bowl XXXVI is one of the larger upsets in Super Bowl history, coming during Tom Brady's first year as a starter and the beginning of a dynasty. 

Now, there's a new first-year starter who wants his first Super Bowl. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has already made history this season by throwing for 50 touchdowns and 5,000 yards—becoming the second player in NFL history to reach both marks and the third to throw for 50 touchdowns. 

Should Mahomes' Chiefs defeat the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, he has a chance to become the first first-year starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl since Brady. 

Former NFL head coach Dick Vermeil, who lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI and coached the Chiefs—told 610 Sports Radio in Kansas City that it's Mahomes and the Chiefs' time.

As for the New Orleans Saints, it may be now or never before the end of the Drew Brees era, with the Rams boasting a young core. The Saints haven't appeared in the Super Bowl since they won it in the 2009 season, and Brees was the game's MVP.

Many in and around the NFL, such as CBSSports.com's Jared Dubin, are focusing on two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in their 40s (Brady and Brees) facing off against two quarterbacks in their early 20s (Goff and Mahomes) and what it might mean for the future of the league.

As it stands, though, any of the above narratives—and most likely narratives we can't even envision beforehand—are possible heading into the conference championships, which means even more is possible for Super Bowl LIII.

Odds

Odds are according to OddsShark.

New Orleans Saints: +175 (wager $100 to win $175)

Kansas City Chiefs: +275

New England Patriots: +333

Los Angeles Rams: +350

Statistical Predictions

Tom Brady, Quarterback, Patriots

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

If Brady proved anything during Super Bowl LII, it's that even one of the greatest statistical performances of all time can't guarantee a ring. Brady threw for 505 yards, a Super Bowl record, but New England still lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.  

Even so, the Patriots have no shot at winning Super Bowl LIII without an efficient Brady—the kind of efficiency that has earned him five Super Bowl rings.

Brady's approach will differ depending on whether the Rams or Saints sit on the other side of the line of scrimmage. However, both teams' secondaries have equal potential to be dangerous or porous. Against Brady, the likelihood leans toward the latter.

Prediction: 30-for-40, 300 yards, two touchdowns and a pick.

Drew Brees, Quarterback, Saints

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Any time the words "Brees" and "statistical" are mentioned in the same space, it is mandatory to note that Brees holds an inordinate amount of NFL records—including becoming the NFL's all-time passing leader in Week 5 this season.

At 40, he is as proficient as he was when he secured a 114.5 passer rating in Super Bowl XLIV.

This season, Brees has only thrown five interceptions. With that kind of ball security, opposing teams almost have to pray for Brees to make a mistake. Should the Saints make Super Bowl LIII, Brees will have the best supporting cast he has had in his career (wide receiver Michael Thomas, running back Alvin Kamara and a stout defense) on the biggest stage—expect him to take advantage of that.

Prediction: 35-of-45, 350 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions.

Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback, Chiefs

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There is no way of knowing exactly how it will happen—no-look passes, left-handed passes, side-arm passes, regular passes—but Mahomes has become the surest bet when it comes to playmaking in the NFL.

He only has one playoff game under his belt, but in that, he showed no jitters. The Super Bowl is an entirely different story, but to this point, no one has any reason to expect anything less than great. Even though he didn't throw for a touchdown or eclipse 300 yards in the Chiefs' divisional-round win over Indianapolis, he did showcase his athleticism by scrambling for a touchdown.

Again: it comes in many forms.

With a handful of weapons at his disposal, defenses haven't been able to figure out yet how to totally shut him down.

Prediction: 36-for-48, 360 yards, four touchdowns, two picks.

Jared Goff, Quarterback, Rams

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Of the three other quarterbacks who could play in Atlanta, Jared Goff is the one whose team could have to win in spite of the signal-caller.

While Brady, Brees and Mahomes would have to perform at their usual top-tier levels for their teams to lift the Lombardi Trophy, the Rams have proved that their run game can carry them when Goff is off.

Look no further than the divisional round, during which L.A. won behind C.J. Anderson and Todd Gurley's combined 238 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Goff only completed 15 passes for 186 yards and no touchdowns. To his credit, he did not turn over the ball.

So do the Rams just need Goff to be good enough?

He has certainly proved he can be great at times, but he is in a funk. Outside of the regular-season finale against the San Francisco 49ers, Goff's five-game stretch through the divisional round saw him throw two touchdowns versus six interceptions.

Which Goff would show up in the Super Bowl: the emerging star from Week 11 against the Chiefs or the struggling one of late?

Prediction: 20-for-35, 250 yards, one touchdown, two picks.

James White, Running Back, Patriots

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

James White's two biggest games of his career came in the postseason, with the biggest coming in the Patriots' historic comeback in Super Bowl LI, when White contributed two rushing touchdowns, 14 catches, 110 receiving yards and another touchdown through the air.

More recently, White tied the record for most receptions in an NFL postseason game in the divisional round with 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers. 

What more context is needed to solidify White as a dual-threat maestro?

Defenses have to account for him as both a rusher and receiver. With the likes of Bill Belichick strategizing, there is no way to know exactly how White will be utilized—only that he will. 

Prediction: five rushes, 40 yards, two touchdowns; 10 catches, 104 yards, one touchdown.

Travis Kelce, Tight End, Chiefs

Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

When teams decide to focus on wide receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce emerges as Mahomes' favorite target. Defenses have to decide which star they want to dare to beat them, and Kelce has become something like Mahomes' safety blanket in 2018. What a great safety blanket to have. 

Kelce set a franchise record for most catches in a single regular season by a tight end with 103. Most of the time, Kelce racks up crucial yardage even if it doesn't result in a touchdown for himself.

The tight end has six 100-yard receiving games this season (including the divisional round), and half of them were without a touchdown.

Prediction: 10 catches for 95 yards and no touchdowns.

Michael Thomas, Wide Receiver, Saints

Bill Feig/Associated Press

Michael Thomas has made a name for himself for showing up on the biggest stages 2018 has had to offer to this point.

Thomas has gone over 100 yards receiving in each of the Saints' three most important matchups this season (109 yards in Week 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers and 211 yards in Week 9 against the Rams), including 171 yards in the divisional round.

The wide receiver can turn a run-of-the-mill catch into a 70-plus-yard touchdown at any moment, making him a prime candidate to etch his name into Super Bowl lore. Not to mention, who knows what kind of celebration he would have planned.

Prediction: 12 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown.

C.J. Anderson, Running Back, Rams

John McCoy/Getty Images

Anderson has become the most unsuspecting shoulder for L.A. to lean on since the team signed him in mid-December.

The running back has rushed for over 100 yards in each of his three games as a Ram, which has taken a load off of primary back Todd Gurley. Anderson was brought in while Gurley was dealing with a knee injury.

The Rams' latest injury report suggests Gurley is healthy, but even with that being the case, he and Anderson have completely different running styles: Gurley is more dynamic, and Anderson is a bruiser.

In an ESPN feature by Tim Keown, Anderson was disarmingly self-aware of the role his body type plays: "Look, I'm 12 or 13 pounds overweight. I'm not going to lie about that. But I'm not overweight to the point where I can't play the game. As long as I'm still moving and doing the things I need to do, I'm OK being Fat Back."

The Rams will be OK with Anderson being Fat Back too as long as it helps them win a fat ring.

Prediction: 20 carries for 101 yards and two touchdowns.