Super Bowl Odds 2021: Chiefs vs. Buccaneers Spread, Over/Under Betting Guide

NFL fans who enjoy storylines will be in for a treat this Sunday. When the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers take the field, they'll bring with them one of the most intriguing quarterback matchups in recent memory.

Buccaneers signal-caller Tom Brady will be playing in his 10th Super Bowl and looking for his seventh Lombardi Trophy—at 43 years old. Kansas City's young gunslinger—the 25-year-old Patrick Mahomes—will be playing in his second-consecutive Super Bowl. In only three years as a full-time starter, Mahomes has already won one Lombardi, one Super Bowl MVP and one regular-season MVP.

In many ways, this quarterback matchup is representative of the NFL's past and its future.

There's a lot more history involved in this game than at the quarterback position, though. Kansas City, which has been in the AFC title game three straight years, may be in the beginning stages of the league's next great dynasty. The Buccaneers are back in the big game for the first time since the 2002 season.

Tampa won Super Bowl XXXVII to claim the only Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.

Three will be plenty of star power on the field, too—from defensive playmakers like Shaquil Barrett and Chris Jones to pass-catching phenoms like Chris Godwin and Tyreek Hill. Super Bowl LV could be a shootout, a defensive battle or anything in between—though it landing on one extreme end of the spectrum or the other feels unlikely.

How do the oddsmakers in Las Vegas see it? We'll examine the latest lines and over/unders from DraftKings Sportsbook, along with a close look at the game itself.

Super Bowl LV

Steve Sanders/Associated Press

Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

When: February 7, 2021

Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: CBS, CBS All Access

Line and Over/Under: KC -3. 55.5

Money Line: KC -162, TB +140

Injury Roundup

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Injuries can and often do impact how a game lines up with the lines and over/unders. Therefore, it's worth diving into the final injury report for Super Bowl LV.

The good news is that not many players from the playoff roster have officially been ruled out. The only players officially out are Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay and left tackle Eric Fisher. Of course, the Fisher injury could be huge, as right tackle Mitchell Schwartz has been out since Week 6.

This means that the Chiefs will be short-handed trying to slow the Buccaneers pass rush and to protect Mahomes. With players like Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul on Tampa's defensive front, Mahomes may be forced to buy a lot of time in the pocket himself.

Kansas City wideout Sammy Watkins is listed as questionable, as are Buccaneers receiver Antonio Brown and tight end Cameron Brate.

Breakdown

Tori Richman/Associated Press

This game may be decided by Tampa's ability to pressure Mahomes. If the Buccaneers can get to Mahomes as they did Aaron Rodgers in the NFC title game—he was sacked five times—Tampa could quickly shift the momentum of this game. Of course, the pass rush is a two-way street, and Brady will have to deal with the likes of Chris Jones when he's on the field.

When the Chiefs and Bucs faced off in the regular season, Brady was only sacked once, but he was also forced into two interceptions. Kansas City won that game 27-24. It's worth noting, though, that the Chiefs got off to a hot start in that game before surviving with a three-point win.

The Buccaneers may get off to a slow start here, as is typical for Brady. In nine previous Super Bowl appearances, Brady's teams have scored a total of three points in the first quarter.

"Hard to explain why or why not that hasn't happened," Brady said, per Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk. "I'm sure they're all a lot of individual things, why that's happened or not."

Expect Brady to put a few more points on the board in this one, though, and to help the score creep past the over.

While this may not be a full-on shootout, it's probably not going to be a defensive struggle, either. There will be too much offensive talent on the field—Hill, Travis Kelce, Chris Godwin, Evans, Watkins and Brown are just a few of the notable names—for either of these defenses to completely shut down the opposition. However, a mistake on which a defense can capitalize could decide it.

The mistake-battle seems to favor Mahomes there, as he's thrown just six picks all season, while Brady has thrown 15—postseason included.

While the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills will tell you that kicking field goals alone isn't enough to best either of these teams, a field goal could be the difference here.

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