Super Bowl 2020: Date, Point Spread and Prop Odds for 49ers vs. Chiefs

On February 2, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will face off in Super Bowl LIV in one of the best matchups fans could have hoped for. The teams' contrasting styles should lead to some exciting moments and plenty of uncertainty.

For now, Caesars lists the Chiefs as slight favorites, though the line has stuck close to even since the end of the NFC Championship Game on Sunday night.

This shouldn't be surprising, as the 49ers own the better record—albeit by one game—and have the sort of defense that can slow Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City's high-flying passing attack.

Led by Nick Bosa and Dee Ford, San Francisco's pass rush produced 48 sacks in the regular season, while the 49ers ranked first in passing yards allowed (169.2 per game). They have been more susceptible to the run, but that isn't the strength of Kansas City's offense. Still, bettors often back the better quarterback, so the Chiefs' status as favorites is understandable.

For bettors, the Super Bowl is about more than just the line. The biggest sporting event of the year brings with it prop bets that aren't found for normal contests. If you want to bet on the number of commercials that air or the time it takes Demi Lovato to sing the national anthem, you can.

We're going to stick to the game itself, though, and examine some of the top on-field props for Super Bowl LIV.

Super Bowl LIV

When: Sunday, February 2, at 6:30 p.m. ET

Where: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami

TV and Live Stream: Fox, Fox Sports Go

Line, O/U: KC -1.5, 54.5

1st Turnover Type

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Let's kick things off with a fun one. Oddschecker relays the props concerning the first turnover. There is no option for turnover on downs, so the choices are limited to interception, fumble or no turnovers.

Considering only two Super Bowls have featured zero turnovers—the most recent being Super Bowl XXXIV in January 2000—the last option doesn't seem appealing.

So picking between interceptions and fumbles, let's look at the quarterback situations. Mahomes is generally careful with his throws, and he only tossed five interceptions during the regular season. Jimmy Garoppolo threw 13 picks during the regular season and has one in the playoffs. The question is whether the 49ers will let Garoppolo loose early in the game.

It's more likely that San Francisco looks to establish the run early, as it has most of the year. If so, it's more likely that a fumble or a strip-sack results in the first turnover of the game.

A strip-sack seems extremely likely, as these two defenses combined for 10 sacks and 36 forced fumbles in the regular season.

A Sack or a Touchdown to Start the Game?

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Another prop that plays off the two defenses in the game can be found at Bovada. Bettors can wager on whether a sack or a touchdown occurs first on Super Bowl Sunday.

A sack may seem like the obvious choice given the aforementioned defensive information. However, it's worth noting that the 49ers could easily drive down the field and score without attempting a single pass.

The trio of Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman is quite capable of racing down the field. Coleman suffered a shoulder injury in the NFC title game, but the 49ers are hopeful that he can go.

"They were positive results, so we'll see how he is next week but wasn't able to go today," head coach Kyle Shanahan said, referring to Coleman's MRI results, per NFL.com's Jelani Scott.

Let's not forget that the 49ers dropped 37 points on the Green Bay Packers in the NFC title game, while Garoppolo attempted a mere eight passes.

Given the whole picture, though, a sack does seem like the right choice. Both defenses can get after the quarterback, and the Chiefs have endured slow starts in their two playoff games this year. But this one is closer than it might seem.

Will Any Kick Be Returned for a Touchdown

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Another prop found at Bovada involves the likelihood of a kick being returned for a touchdown. Kick-return scores are rare, and the odds reflect this. According to Bovada, the odds are +450 (wager $100 to win $450) that a kick will be returned for a score and -850 (wager $850 to win $100) that one will not.

The payout for a return touchdown is enticing, but it isn't the smart play. During the regular season, seven kickoffs and 10 punts were returned for scores. That's 17 return touchdowns through 17 weeks and 256 games of football.

Between the 49ers and the Chiefs, only one kick or punt was returned for a touchdown. That was by Chiefs rookie receiver/returner Mecole Hardman. Neither squad allowed a kick or a punt to be returned for a score.

Given the explosive potential of guys like Hardman, Tyreek Hill and Richie James, a return TD is possible. It's extremely unlikely, however, making this a bet best avoided altogether.