Super Bowl Odds 2021: Opening Las Vegas Betting Lines for Chiefs vs. Buccaneers

And then there were two.

After a thrill ride of a 2020 NFL season and three wildly entertaining weeks of playoff action, only the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain in contention for Super Bowl LV.

Consider it a gift from the football gods. On one side, you have the Chiefs, the defending champs quarterbacked by the electric Patrick Mahomes, 2018's MVP and the reigning Super Bowl MVP. On the other, you have the Buccaneers, a franchise reinvigorated by the offseason addition of the timeless Tom Brady, a six-time Super Bowl champ and three-time MVP.

This could be a masterclass in quarterbacking, and the plot lines are almost equally enthralling beyond the marquee position.

So what's our early read on the matchup? And what do oddsmakers expect to see? We'll answer all of those questions and more below.

Super Bowl LV

Who: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

When: Sunday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. ET

Where: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida

TV: CBS

Latest Line: Chiefs -3 (O/U 56), via DraftKings Sportsbook

How They Got Here

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

It took Kansas City five weeks of the regular season to suffer its first loss and another 12 to withstand its second, a game in which the AFC's top seed sat its regulars to keep fresh for the postseason.

This is an absurdly dominant team, in other words, as the Buffalo Bills can surely attest. They found themselves on the wrong side of Sunday's AFC Championship Game, in which the Chiefs took a 21-12 lead in to intermission and led by as many as 23 points before cruising to a 38-24 triumph.

Mahomes was his usual, magical self, completing 29 of his 38 passes for 325 yards and three scores. Of those attempts, 26 were thrown in the direction of Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, who combined to record 22 receptions for 290 yards and two scores.

As for Tampa Bay, which hadn't secured a playoff spot since the 2007 season, it followed Brady's lead to one of the most successful campaigns in franchise history. The Bucs' 11 regular-season wins tied for their second-most all time, and their plus-137 scoring differential (fourth-best in the NFL) also took the silver medal in the organization's annals.

The Bucs' passing game grabbed the marquee, which is no surprise given Brady's pedigree and their wealth of pass-catching weaponry, including Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown and longtime Brady favorite Rob Gronkowski. But the rushing game also popped through both Ronald Jones II and Leonard Fournette, and the defense caused all kinds of havoc with 48 sacks (tied for fourth-most) and 15 interceptions (tied for seventh).

All elements were on display during their 31-26 takedown of the Green Bay Packers in Sunday's NFC Championship Game. Brady passed for 280 yards and three scores, Godwin cleared 100 receiving yards, Evans snagged a touchdown catch, Fournette rushed for a touchdown and the defense sacked Aaron Rodgers five times and intercepted him once.

"Tom is the GOAT," Bucs receiver Scotty Miller told reporters. "Last year, we ended 7-9. This year, we're going to the Super Bowl. He's the biggest reason."

What to Expect

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

The Bucs and Chiefs locked horns once this season, and if that Week 12 contest were any indication, football fans are in for a treat Feb. 7.

Kansas City left Raymond James Stadium with a 27-24 win, but not before Tampa Bay made it sweat with a furious second-half comeback. The Chiefs had a 17-0 lead after the first, took a 20-7 advantage into halftime and led 27-10 after three quarters. But a pair of touchdown strikes from Brady to Evans narrowed the gap to just three points with more than four minutes remaining before the Chiefs picked up three first downs to kill the clock.

What does that contest mean for this matchup? Probably nothing—other than the fact that this has all-time classic potential. Too much time has passed for it to hold any relevance, and as the playoffs have shown, each team is riding a wave of positive momentum into this championship bout.

What could decide this contest? Where do we begin?

Can Tampa's pass-rushers get to Mahomes without needing extra help so that it can blanket the back end with downfield defenders? Can Kansas City's secondary limit the big plays that Tampa's vertical passing attack is built around? Will either ground game be much of a factor? Which quarterback will make a costly mistake, and how much can the other make him pay?

So where should your wagering money go? Well, that's up to you. But if the experts have this pegged correctly, it's hard to go away from Mahomes—yes, even harder than it is to go against Brady on a stage he knows better than anyone. A dozen ESPN experts made early predictions, and 10 went with the Chiefs.

The over/under might be worth more of your gambling attention, though. Neither defense is spectacular, and each offense obviously is. Besides, an over bet means cheering for scoring, and is there a better way to enjoy a championship showdown for which 30 fanbases don't have a rooting interest? Banking on Mahomes and Brady to create fireworks seems like the optimal use of your funds.

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21+. NJ/PA/WV/IN/NH/IA/CO/IL only. Odds and lines subject to change. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.