Super Bowl Second Half Betting Advice

by Trevor Whenham - 1/27/2020

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill

Betting the Super Bowl at halftime is typically an attractive thing to do -- and it can provide some real value, too. Halftime betting, of course, is when you bet lines, totals or props dealing with the outcome of the second half, and those odds are only posted at the start of halftime. It's a short timeframe, and you can't bet on them until you have watched the first half. It's a chance to trust your eyes and your instincts and to leverage what you expect in the second half based on what you have seen in the first. If you are serious about betting the Super Bowl at halftime , then you need to watch the first half objectively with an eye towards what you expect in the second half. To help you with that, and to offer some 49ers vs. Chiefs predictions , here are seven questions to ask yourself as you watch the first half:

What is San Francisco's offensive approach?: A lot of great offensive minds have a style of play that they are loyal to, and they stick to it because it works. Kyle Shanahan is not that way. His team lost one game in overtime and then won the next while Jimmy Garoppolo threw 46 and 45 passes per game. And he just won a playoff game while the same QB threw just eight times. There isn't a team out there that is less loyal to a particular style of offensive play, and that makes them tough to prepare for. We need to get a really good grasp of what they are doing this time and how Kansas City is dealing with it.

Is Mostert being a monster?: San Francisco running back Raheem Mostert basically won the game against the Packers in the NFC Championship by himself, running for 220 yards and four touchdowns. It was an incredible performance. And it basically came from nowhere - Mostert had had one prior 100-yard game in his career and wasn't even the lead back entering the game. He's obviously talented, and the offensive line likes to block for him. But he snuck up on the Packers, and that isn't going to be able to happen again. Will he be able to move the ball this time around, or will he be contained just like the Chiefs shut down Derrick Henry? And how heavily will San Francisco rely on him to do so?

How is the Niners' secondary holding up?: The San Francisco secondary has done well, but it has been a bit of smoke and mirrors given their lack of depth. Richard Sherman was tested last time out, and the Chiefs have a whole lot of receiver depth to work with -- and the best QB on the planet. Kansas City will be setting up mismatches everywhere they can, looking to do some damage. Your faith in the ability of the Niners to hold up under the assault will have a lot to do with how you see this game going down. If they are getting attacked and struggling in the first half, then it is hard to believe it will get better as they get tired later in the game.

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Which receivers are carrying the weight for Kansas City?: One thing that makes the Chiefs so dangerous is that they don't have a go-to receiver. A lot of top offensive teams and explosive quarterbacks have a guy who you know is going to have a big game if the team does well. Travis Kelce is the closest thing to that for the team, but he was close to a non-factor against the Titans after absolutely destroying the Texans. As long as Mahomes has someone to work with, he is usually fine. So, does he?

What is the rhythm of the game?: When the Chiefs are at the best, they get rolling like a snowball down a hill. And San Francisco is a team that can and does set the tempo, too -- as they clearly did early on against the Packers. The team could play out in the first half that one team is in the groove they need to be. If we are really lucky as viewers, then both teams will be in their groove. But if the game is really choppy and neither team can get anything rolling, then it will have an impact on things -- especially on the total. Getting a feel for the rhythm and tempo of the game will be important. It might not carry over to the second half in the same way, but a game that has been brutal on that front in the first half often doesn't suddenly turn into a second half gem.

Any advantage for one of the coaches?: Both of these coaches are very easy to respect. Andy Reid is the reigning holder of the title of best coach to have never won the Super Bowl, while Kyle Shanahan is an incredibly impressive young coach. At their best, they are both very capable of being a big asset to their squad here. But more than once we have seen very good coaches have very bad days under the intense glare of the Super Bowl spotlights. Are these guys on their A Game? Or is one getting in the way of the success of their team?

How does the weight of the day seem to be affecting them?: Last year it was much easier to have faith that the Patriots would hold up fine under the pressure of a Super Bowl since it was so familiar for much of the roster and staff than it was that the Rams would be fine in the big game. And as it turned out, only one team was ready for the challenge. This year is different, though, because neither team really has much experience on the field or among the coaching staffs. It's tougher to predict how either team will handle it as a result, so it's more important to pay attention and see how much the pressure is limiting their ability to execute their game plan to their full potential.

Start:	November 23, 2024 @ 10:07 PM
Expert:	Vernon Croy
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Super Bowl Second Half Betting Advice

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