2020 Super Bowl picks, scores and MVP predictions

Predicting the winner and score of Super Bowl 54, including the 2020 Super Bowl MVP.

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At the start of September, 32 NFL teams and their respective fan bases had a dream: To play in and win Super Bowl LIV. Fast forward to Sunday, Feb. 2, and it’s down to the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers duking it out to be the 2020 Super Bowl Champion.

One team will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl LIV Champions. The other will begin planning for next season.

Over the past two weeks, we’ve covered Super Bowl LIV odds, lines, spreads and many, many prop bets. Now we get to the fun part: SportsbookWire’s staff predicting who will win the 2020 Super Bowl.

Super Bowl 54 Picks and Predictions

Esten McLaren predicts the 49ers will beat the Chiefs 32-29 to win this season’s championship.

Sticking with the 49ers’ theme, Cameron DaSilva is also all about San Francisco, predicting a super-tight game with the 49ers beating the Chiefs by just one point, 28-27.

Pete Fiutak, from CollegeFootballNews.com, has the 49ers as 30-23 victors, the largest margin among the 49ers’ predicted wins.

Starting to see a trend? Geoff Clark is also on the 49ers’ side of the battle, projecting a 37-34 victory over Kansas City to capture the Lombardi Trophy.

Jess Root is on the other side of the fence, but he’s not thinking it’ll be a wide-open game any more than most of SportsbookWire’s scribes. Root has the Chiefs beating the 49ers 34-31.

Sticking with the Chiefs’ winning theme – and a quickly divided group of SportsbookWire analysts – Brian Rudd has a lower-scoring game overall, but he also likes the Chiefs to win 27-24.

Johnny Parlay is also siding with Kansas City to win. Unlike other SBW writers, Parlay is expecting a rather sound victory, putting the Chiefs as 10-point victors over the 49ers, 38-28.

Our Ryan R. Bonini has gone back-and-forth all week, finally settling in on a 31-27 victory for San Francisco over Kansas City.

For those keeping track at home, we have five votes for the 49ers and three for the Chiefs.

Special sports betting line for the big game

Bet $1, WIN $200 (in free bets) if either team scores a touchdown during the big game February 2, 2020. Regardless of the outcome, you win with a touchdown! Bet now.

New customer offer; visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.

2020 Super Bowl MVP Picks & Predictions

On the 49ers’ side of the equation, our staff is all over the place. That just goes to show you how wide-open this year’s Super Bowl actually is – there isn’t a true favorite.

McLaren has a feeling it’s going to the defensive side, naming 49ers CB Richard Sherman as the game’s MVP. The same goes for DaSilva, but he’s expecting that 49ers defender to be edge-rusher Nick Bosa. Clark, on the 49ers, likes quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to be the MVP, as does Fiutak. Bonini is going back to the running game, which has led the 49ers much of the year, choosing the unheralded Raheem Mostert as his MVP.

Root is on board with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes as Super Bowl LIV MVP; Parlay is in the same boat, expecting the third-year quarterback to be the standout player. Rudd, on the Chiefs’ side of the championship, took a different route, naming wide receiver Tyreek Hill as his projected MVP.

Tune into FOX at 6:30 p.m. ET when Super Bowl LIV begins to catch all of the action. In the meantime, if you’re looking to place a sports wager on the big game, head over to BetMGM and bet now!

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Super Bowl LIV: Why you should bet Chiefs over 49ers

Looking at the Kansas City Chiefs’ chances of beating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, with NFL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The biggest football and sports betting event of the year is this Sunday, as the San Francisco 49ers prepare to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV in Miami. The Chiefs are 1.5-point favorites to win in their first Super Bowl since the 1969 season. Below, we break down why you should bet on the Chiefs (-121 at BetMGM) to win Super Bowl LIV.

Special sports betting line for the big game

Bet $1, WIN $200 (in free bets) if either team scores a touchdown during the big game February 2, 2020. Regardless of the outcome, you win with a touchdown! Bet now.

New customer offer; visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.

Chiefs are on a roll

No one is hotter than the Chiefs. The last time they lost was Nov. 10, in QB Patrick Mahomes‘ first start back from injury. They have since won eight straight games, including two AFC playoff matchups. Six of those wins were by double digits and all came by at least six points.

Mahomes is just too good

(Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas – USA TODAY Sports)

We saw San Francisco struggle to put away the five-win Arizona Cardinals and rookie QB Kyler Murray twice in the regular season. Mahomes is a more polished and far more accomplished version of Murray.

In two full seasons as a starter in the NFL, he has 76 touchdown passes and only 17 interceptions. He had just five interceptions this past season.

The 49ers were great against the pass. It won’t matter for Mahomes. If he can’t make a play with his arm, he will make it with his legs.

Improved run defense

The Chiefs were awful against the run early in the season. In their eight-game winning streak, they are allowing only 93.8 rushing yards per game. That would make them a top-10 run defense. While the 49ers had the No. 2 rushing offense in the league, the Chiefs will be able to limit that and force QB Jimmy Garoppolo to throw the ball, something he has done just 27 times through two playoff games.

Too much offensive firepower

The Chiefs scored fewer than 23 points only once all season. They have had 12 games with at least 25 points scored. They have a loaded and star-studded offense with RB Damien Williams, WRs Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins, and TE Travis Kelce.

That is just too many weapons for the 49ers to be able to stop.

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Super Bowl LIV: Which players will score a touchdown in the game?

Looking at the best prop bet picks to score the a touchdown in Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.

One of the most popular prop bets every year for the Super Bowl is picking which players will score a touchdown in the game. Over the years, there have been some surprising touchdown scorers, such as Malik Jackson, Gary Russell, Brandon LaFell, and, of course, L.J. Smith.

With Super Bowl LIV just a few days away, here are some of our favorite picks to score a touchdown on Sunday night:

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (+105)

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. (Photo credit: Jay Biggerstaff – USA TODAY Sports)

The best bet to score a touchdown on Sunday has to be Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce, who has now scored five touchdowns in his last five playoff games. When the Chiefs get close to the end zone, they often will target their big tight end. Andy Reid will also draw up plays for Kelce as a wildcat runner, making him even more dangerous in the red zone. Consider him basically a lock to reach the end zone at least once against the 49ers.

Special sports betting line for the big game

Bet $1, WIN $200 (in free bets) if either team scores a touchdown during the big game February 2, 2020. Regardless of the outcome, you win with a touchdown! Bet now.

New customer offer; visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.

Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill (+110)

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill. (Photo credit Denny Medley – USA TODAY Sports)

While Tyreek Hill has yet to have a monster playoff game during his NFL career (no games with at least 90 yards receiving), Super Bowl LIV seems like the perfect opportunity for him to shine. In the last two seasons with Patrick Mahomes, Hill has scored 20 touchdowns in 28 contests. When Mahomes is looking to throw the ball deep, you can bet he is searching for Hill.

Given that 49ers have an older secondary, look for the Chiefs to attack them down the field and for Hill to have multiple chances at scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

49ers TE George Kittle (+120)

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle. (Photo credit: Stan Szeto – USA TODAY Sports)

Arguably the best non-quarterback in this game on Sunday is 49ers tight end George Kittle, who was named first-team All-Pro this season. While Kittle has never scored more than five touchdowns in a season, the team may need to rely on him to do some of the heavy lifting on offense in this game. Look for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to target his superstar tight end early and often during the Super Bowl.

49ers WR Deebo Samuel (+200)

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel. (Photo credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)

Much like the Chiefs with Hill, the 49ers do everything in their power to make sure rookie receiver Deebo Samuel touches the ball plenty. He’s a dynamic player who is explosive with the ball in his hands. During the 2019 season, Samuel scored six touchdowns on just 71 offensive touches. If this game turns into a shootout like many people expect, look for Samuel to get quite a few looks inside the red zone.

Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (+390)

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman. (Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing – USA TODAY Sports)

If you are searching for better odds on a touchdown bet, look no further than the Chiefs’ Mecole Hardman, like Samuel a rookie tight end. His role in the offense continues to grow and he has already proven himself as a return threat. In the team’s two playoff games, he racked up 228 kickoff return yards. He has outstanding speed, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the rookie took a jet sweep for a touchdown or caught a bomb from Mahomes at some point in the game. At nearly 4-1 odds, Hardman is a fun long-shot prop bet.

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Super Bowl prop bets: Who will score the last TD of Super Bowl LIV?

Looking at the best prop bet picks to score the last touchdown of Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.

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The Super Bowl brings with it huge betting action, with traditional game bets and props. One such bet is on which player will score the last touchdown of the game.

Here are the odds for each possible player:

San Francisco 49ers

RB Raheem Mostert +650
TE George Kittle +850
RB Matt Breida +1200
RB Tevin Coleman +1200
WR Deebo Samuel +1300
WR Emmanuel Sanders +1300
WR Kendrick Bourne +1600
49ers defense/special teams +2100
RB Jeff Wilson +2100
FB Kyle Juszczyk +3900
QB Jimmy Garoppolo +5000
WR Rickie James +6500
RE Ross Dwelley +8000
TE Levine Toilolo +10000
WR Dante Pettis +10000
WR Jordan Matthews +10000

Kansas City Chiefs

RB Damien Williams +650
WR Tyreek Hill +750
TE Travis Kelce +800
WR Sammy Watkins +1500
QB Patrick Mahomes +2000
WR Mecole Hardman +2300
Chiefs defense/special teams +2400
WR Demarcus Robinson +3100
RB Darwin Thompson +2800
RB LeSean McCoy +4500
TE Blake Bell +7000
WR Byron Pringle +6500
TE Deon Yelder +7000
FB Anthony Sherman +10000
There are also +10000 odds for no touchdown in the game at all.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Sunday, Jan. 26, at 6:00 p.m. ET.

Which player should get your bet? That will depend on the type of game you think the Super Bowl will be.

Special sports betting line for the big game

Bet $1, WIN $200 (in free bets) if either team scores a touchdown during the big game February 2, 2020. Regardless of the outcome, you win with a touchdown! Bet now.

New customer offer; visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.

First of all, don’t even worry about the no-touchdown prop. Both teams will score touchdowns.

I anticipate a close game with both teams making plays in the final quarter, meaning the biggest playmakers will be the ones making plays.

For the 49ers, that means Mostert, Kittle or Samuel. For the Chiefs, that would be Williams, Kelce or Hill.

As all players will provide a big payout — even the shortest odds of +650 will win $65 in profit for every $10 wagered. As such, hedging becomes very easy.

Two sleeper picks would be the 49ers’ Kendrick Bourne and the Chiefs’ defense. Bourne has had a postseason score. Jimmy Garoppolo can be prone to turn the ball over, and if the 49ers are behind late in the game, it is highly possible someone like safety Tyrann Mathieu could pick off a pass and return it for a score to put the game away. There could also be a strip-sack and fumble returned for a touchdown.

If you have $100 to bet on this prop, here is how I would go:

$20 each on Mostert, Kittle, Williams and Kelce
$10 on the KC defense
$10 on Samuel

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Super Bowl LIV Prop Bets: Which player will score first TD?

Looking at the best prop bet picks to score the first touchdown of Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.

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Super Bowl LIV is at the doorstep as the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs prepare to do battle at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET. All week here at SportsbookWire we’ll be breaking down the most enticing prop bets for the big game at BetMGM. Below, we’re looking at which players from the 49ers and Chiefs are the best bets to score the first touchdown of Super Bowl LIV.

(Photo Credit: Steve Mitchell – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Sunday, Jan. 26, at 5:45 p.m. ET.

Kendrick Bourne, WR, 49ers (+1800)

Six 49ers have lower odds than Bourne to score the game’s opening touchdown, including WRs Deebo Samuel (+1300) and Emmanuel Sanders (+1300), and TE George Kittle (+850). Kittle (19) and Samuel (8) each have more red-zone targets than Bourne, but he leads the team with five red-zone touchdowns off of just six targets.

Bourne scored the game’s opening touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round. If the Chiefs can stop the Niners near the goal line on their opening drive, Bourne will very much come into play.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Kendrick Bourne to score the first touchdown of Super Bowl LIV will return a profit of $180.

Mecole Hardman, WR, Chiefs (+2200)

Hardman has nearly a 50-50 chance of being the first player to get his hands on the football in Super Bowl LIV as the primary kick returner of the Chiefs. He has a postseason long of a 58-yard kickoff return against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round, and he had a 104-yard touchdown return in the regular season.

If he doesn’t get to the end zone on a return, he also had six receiving touchdowns this season and a long reception of 83 yards as a rookie. Only two Chiefs receivers had more receptions of 20-plus yards than his nine in the regular season.

Special sports betting line for the big game

Bet $1, WIN $200 (in free bets) if either team scores a touchdown during the big game February 2, 2020. Regardless of the outcome, you win with a touchdown! Bet now.

New customer offer; visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.

Jeff Wilson, RB, 49ers (+2500)

49ers RB Tevin Coleman (+1100) led the team with five red-zone rushing scores this season, but Wilson was right behind with four. Coleman is expected to play in Super Bowl LIV, but he’s battling through a dislocated shoulder suffered in the NFC Championship. Raheem Mostert is coming off a big four-touchdown game and Matt Breida should also get some more work behind Coleman, but Wilson is worth a small play in hopes of a goal-line plunge.

LeSean McCoy, RB, Chiefs (+4000)

McCoy hasn’t played since Week 15, but it’s hard to see head coach Andy Reid keeping his long-time running back out of the Super Bowl. Should he draw into the lineup, he’ll be fresh and motivated, and he led the Chiefs in both red-zone carries (18) and touchdowns (four) this season. He’s a nice hedge against the big-play threat of Hardman and a $10 bet fetches $400 in profit.

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Should you bet on the Minnesota Vikings to win Super Bowl LIV?

Previewing the Minnesota Vikings’ Super Bowl LIV chances, with NFL betting odds, picks, futures and best bets.

The Minnesota Vikings are one of the bigger Jekyll and Hyde teams in the league, and have been for some time. Their veteran-laden lineup has Pro Bowl talent on both sides of the ball, but when it comes to putting it all together in a season, it has yet to happen for the Vikings.

And this season shouldn’t be the exception to that rule.

Minnesota’s odds of winning the Super Bowl are currently at +3300. Only Buffalo (+6000) and Tennessee (+4000) have longer odds.

New to sports betting? A $100 wager on the Vikings to win the Super Bowl would return a profit of $3,300 should they run the table.

NFL futures odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Friday at 5:15 p.m. ET.

Can the Vikings pull it off?

Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings know a thing or two about beating the Saints in the playoffs. (Photo credit: Harrison Barden – USA TODAY Sports)

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One thing that Minnesota has going for it is a defense that can contain opposing offenses. The Vikings defense gave up just 31 touchdowns this season — fewer than two per game and fewest of any NFC playoff team. The defense isn’t as dominant as it has been in previous seasons, but still held opponents to 21 or fewer points in 10 games.

The Vikings also have a penchant for stringing together wins. Over the last five seasons, Minnesota has had winning streaks of four or more games in all but one of them, including two streaks of five straight wins and one of eight.

This season, Minnesota won four straight in October to go from 2-2 to 6-2 and virtually cement its playoff position. This is a team capable of getting on a hot streak.

Or is it just too tall a task?

Running back Dalvin Cook is one of several players capable of carrying the Vikings far in playoffs. The problem is just how log that road will be with three road wins needed just to get to the Super Bowl. (Photo c: Brace Hemmelgarn – USA TODAY Sports)

The biggest problem with the Vikings, however, is that they didn’t win the NFC North. And it doesn’t help that a loaded NFC forced a 13-3 New Orleans team to play on wild-card weekend.

The 10-6 Vikings know two things. 1) They have to go on the road to play a 13-3 team in the first round of the playoffs (New Orleans) and 2) if they win that game, they have to go back on the road to play another 13-3 team (San Francisco). And if the Vikings get through that and the other half of the NFC bracket holds, it would mean a third trip to a 13-3 club, to face Green Bay in the NFC title game.

Then there’s the whole Saints looking for revenge for the Minnesota Miracle to postseasons ago, as well.

Minnesota has the horses to some damage with Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs and Kyle Rudolph on offense and Danielle Hunter, Linval Joseph, Everson Griffen, Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes on defense — but the path through the NFC is just too daunting to expect that the Vikings can make the run needed to get to the Super Bowl, much less win it.

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Should you bet on the Tennessee Titans to win Super Bowl LIV?

Previewing the Tennessee Titans’ Super Bowl LIV chances, with NFL betting odds, picks, futures and best bets.

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The Tennessee Titans were the last team to qualify for the AFC playoffs at 9-7, earning the No. 6 seed and a Wild Card Round matchup against the New England Patriots (12-4). They’ll play Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium. Should the Titans win, they’ll advance to face the Baltimore Ravens Saturday, Jan. 11, while the Patriots would visit the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Jan. 12. Below, we analyze the Titans playoff chances and NFL futures odds to win Super Bowl LIV.

The Titans open the postseason as the second-biggest longshots to win both the AFC (+2200) and the Super Bowl (+4000). They struck gold in the middle of the season after cutting bait on former No. 2 pick QB Marcus Mariota and turning to failed former Miami Dolphins starter Ryan Tannehill. RB Derrick Henry finished as the regular season’s leading rusher, and the rejuvenated Titans enter the playoffs as one of the NFL’s hottest teams.

NFL futures odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Friday at 12:30 pm. ET.

Tennessee Titans playoff futures

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AFC Champion: +2200

The Titans won five of their last seven games and went 7-3 after making the switch from the ineffective Mariota to Tannehill against the Denver Broncos in Week 6. Tannehill, the eighth overall pick of the Dolphins in the 2012 NFL Draft, finished the season with 2,742 passing yards and 22 touchdowns against six interceptions while adding 185 rushing yards and four scores on the ground. Henry totaled 1,540 rushing yards, 206 receiving yards and 18 combined touchdowns.

Of course, no one has a tougher road through the AFC playoffs than the Titans. They’ll play the Patriots in New England’s first Wild Card Round game since 2009. If the Titans survive the first test, they’ll need to visit the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens.

(Photo Credit: Troy Taormina – USA TODAY Sports)

The Titans draw a PASS from me. They’re not tempting enough based on the two incredibly difficult road games in front of them, before they’d reach an AFC Championship Game, which would likely require a visit to Kansas City to face reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. The AFC is extremely top-heavy, and it’s tough to envision the Cinderella Titans crawling their way through.

Super Bowl: +4000

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Titans to win Super Bowl LIV would return a profit of $400 should Tennessee win the game.

The Titans finished the regular season ranked 10th in points per game (25.1) and 12th in yards per game (362.8). Defensively, they allowed 20.7 PPG (12th) and 359.5 YPG (21st). Only the Ravens and San Francisco 49ers accumulated more team rushing yards than Tennessee, though unlike the others who were able to pile on their yards while nursing large leads late in games, the Titans relied on Henry throughout games.

(Photo Credit: Jim Brown – USA TODAY Sports)

Four of the NFL’s top six run defenses from the regular season made the playoffs, including the Ravens and Patriots. No coach in the league is better at scheming to take away a team’s top option than Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. By doing so against the Titans, Henry would become neutralized, leaving Tannehill to handle his former AFC East rivals on his own.

I’ll agree with the books that there’s a much better chance of the underdog Titans being discarded in their opening game – only the Minnesota Vikings (+310 at New Orleans Saints) are bigger dogs than the Titans (+180) in the Wild Card Round – than of winning Super Bowl LIV. PASS and look elsewhere for your Super Bowl lotto ticket.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Should you bet on the Eagles to win Super Bowl LIV?

Previewing the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIV NFL chances, with NFL betting odds, picks, futures and best bets

The NFL playoffs begin this weekend and, as NFC East champions, the Philadelphia Eagles will host the final of the four wild-card games on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles finished the season 9-7, beating the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16 then closing out the division crown with a 34-17 road win against the Giants in Week 17.

In all, the Eagles had to win four in a row to do it. And they needed every win.

Now Philadelphia readies for its playoff run with one looming question: Can the Eagles win four more games and take home its second Super Bowl title in the last three seasons?

The question for you is whether you should bet on the Eagles to actually sweep through the playoffs and win Super Bowl LIV.

NFL futures odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Wednesday at 6:30 pm. ET.

Get some action on the games by betting at BetMGM. New customer offer: RISK-FREE First Bet (up to $500!) paid in free bets.

The odds certainly wouldn’t point to the Eagles even making the playoffs, as they sit at +1200 to win the NFC, tied with Seattle for the second-longest odds in the NFC. Only Minnesota (+1600) has longer odds.

Philly is tied for the third-longest odds to win the Super Bowl at +3300. So while their odds of pulling it all off seem unlikely, the Eagles offer one of the biggest potential paydays in the playoffs.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Eagles to win the Super Bowl would return a profit of $330 should Philadelphia win the game.

Yes, it is a big payday. The question is whether it is worth betting on the Eagles.

Eagles to win the Super Bowl: Worth the risk?

Carson Wentz and the Eagles conquered the Dallas Cowboys in December. Can they conquer the rest of the NFL in January and February? (Photo Credit: Matthew Emmons – USA TODAY Sports)

They did win their final four games to get into the playoffs, so they are hot. However, those four games were all against the NFC East. They did not beat a winning team in the final eight games of the season.

They were 5-3 at home and 4-4 on the road. They likely will only have one playoff game at home — and that’s against the Seahawks, who have a better record than the Eagles (11-5) and were literally one yard away from winning the NFC West.

The Eagles’ receiving corps is underwhelming and Philadelphia struggles in the secondary. And last week, the club saw one of its best linemen, guard Brandon Brooks, go down for the remainder of the season. Running back Miles Sanders, a revelation in the second half of the season, also went down against the Giants and his availability is in question. And then there are injuries to All-Pro tight end Zach Ertz and All-Pro tackle Lane Johnson, both of whom are also uncertain for Sunday.

And if the Eagles do get past the Seahawks, they will likely be sitting in the divisional round with a trio of 11-3 teams … and that’s before we start talking potential Super Bowl opponent.

The potential payout is huge, but unless it is a casual, small bet, the Eagles aren’t worth wagering much.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Should you bet on the 49ers to win Super Bowl LIV?

Previewing the 49ers’ Super Bowl LIV NFL chances, with NFL betting odds, picks, futures and best bets

The San Francisco 49ers steamrolled their way to an 8-0 record to open the season, allowing more than 20 points just once in that span. Then came an overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10 and a 3-3 run over the next six games as the San Francisco defense came back down to earth.

Nevertheless, the 49ers finished the season 5-3, earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, and still look like one of the best teams in the NFL. The oddsmakers see it that way, too. As of Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET, BetMGM lists the 49ers at +400 to win Super Bowl LIV, the second-best odds only to the Ravens (+225).

NFL futures odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Wednesday at 3:30 pm. ET.

Get some action on the games by betting at BetMGM. New customer offer: RISK-FREE First Bet (up to $500!) paid in free bets.

The upside of betting on the 49ers isn’t nearly as high as picking a team like the Texans (+3300), but the risk is also much lower, given the fact that San Francisco has a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NFC.

So should you lay down a wager on the 49ers to win it all? Absolutely. In fact, they’re one of the best bets in the playoffs for a couple of reasons.

Sizing up the NFC field

Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers spent much of the regular season perched atop the NFC. (Photo credit: Kirby Lee – USA TODAY Sports)

First is San Francisco’s seeding and the NFC side of the playoff bracket. The 49ers haven’t had a week off since Week 4 — in late September. Earning a first-round bye with their riveting win over the Seahawks in Week 17 will do the 49ers a world good as banged-up veterans such as Emmanuel Sanders get extra time to recover and get healthy, while their first opponent won’t have that benefit.

And speaking of their first opponent in the playoffs, it won’t be the Saints or the Packers — the next-best teams in the conference. Green Bay is the No. 2 seed and also has a bye. New Orleans is the No. 3 seed and would automatically visit the Packers in the divisional round should it beat Minnesota this weekend. That leaves the 49ers to face the Seahawks, Eagles or Vikings.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the 49ers to win the Super Bowl would return a profit of $40 should the 49ers win the game.

The Eagles are a nice story of perseverance and overcoming injuries, but they’re too banged up to make a deep run in the playoffs with Carson Wentz being their only consistent source of offense. Seattle isn’t as good as its record — the Seahawks have only one win by more than one possession but three losses by at least two touchdowns.

The Vikings are an interesting team, but Kirk Cousins can’t be trusted on the big stage. Plus a deeper look at Minnesota’s schedule shows the Vikings beat only one opponent that finished with a winning record. In other words, they beat up on lesser teams and lost to their tougher foes.

On top of the playoff bracket, the 49ers are one of the most consistent and proven teams in the postseason. They lost in overtime to the Seahawks before beating them in Week 17, lost by three points on the road to the Ravens and were upset by the Falcons at the last second in Week 15 with a decimated secondary.

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is a big reason why the 49ers are looking down at the rest of the NFC playoff field. (Photo credit: Stan Szeto – USA TODAY Sports)

When healthy, the 49ers have a terrifying defense that’s outstanding at all three levels — from the pass rush with Nick Bosa to the linebackers with Fred Warner to the secondary with Richard Sherman.

On offense, their relentless ground game with the three-headed running-back monster of Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman helps balance the offense with Jimmy Garoppolo behind center. As long as Garoppolo doesn’t fold under pressure, the 49ers will be in good shape.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan has the smarts to outduel even the best defensive masterminds — including Pete Carroll and Mike Zimmer. He has a golden opportunity to lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl, where a rematch with the Ravens could ensue.

Talent and coaching win in the playoffs, and the 49ers have both. Feel good about putting money on the 49ers to win it all in February.

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