Defense wins championships, and we may see that when the San Francisco 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58. We're here to share our Super Bowl 58 odds series and make the best defensive props prediction for the Big Game.
The 49ers and Chiefs will get all the buzz for their offenses. While they both have excellent offense, you shouldn't forget about the talent on both defenses that helped them get here. Today, we will be looking at sacks and interceptions. We will take a look at how these factors come into play and which team will have more of each. Come along with us as we look at what these teams did, and predict what they'll do.
Here are the Chiefs-Ravens NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Super Bowl 58 Odds: Best Defensive Odds
Defense To Record More Sacks
Kansas City Chiefs: -162
San Francisco 49ers: +132
Over 4.5: +128
Under 4.5: -164
Defense to Record Most Interceptions
San Francisco 49ers: +106
Kansas City Chiefs: -134
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Why The Chiefs Will Record More Sacks
Look at what the Chiefs did during the season. Their pass rush was one of the best in the NFL. Eventually, the unit finished with 57 sacks, which registered for second in the entire league. It's no surprise, considering the talent they had.
Defensive end George Karlaftis led the Chiefs with 13 sacks. Ultimately, he was a wrecking ball as he kept coming through the blocks and powering through to get to the quarterback. Don't forget about defensive tackle Chris Jones. Amazingly, he had another good season as he generated 11 sacks. Having Karlaftis coming through the middle and Jones rearing off the edge gives offensive lines two things in two separate places to worry about.
But the Chiefs will be without Charles Omenihu, who had eight sacks during the season but sustained a torn ACL in the AFC Championship Game. Therefore, Mike Danna will need to be the next man to step up. He finished with 6.5 sacks during the season.
The defense had two sacks against the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Wildcard Round, with Karlaftis registering 1.5 sacks. However, the defense could not tally a single sack against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round. But the defense came back to life in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens, with Karlaftis, Justin Reid, Tershawn Wharton, and Omenihu each registering a sack.
Why the 49ers Will Record More Sacks
The 49ers finished the season with 48 sacks. Nick Bosa had a “down season” but still finished with 12.5 sacks. Meanwhile, Chase Young finished with 7.5 sacks. Javon Hargrave had seven sacks in his first season with the Niners. Lastly, Arik Armstead had five sacks while missing several games.
But the defense has not done much on the front end during the playoffs. They did not record a single sack against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round. However, they tallied two sacks against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game, with Bosa getting both takedowns. Where did Young, Armstead, and Hargrave go? These three need to do more to help Bosa. They will face a Kansas City offensive line that was not as great as in past seasons. Yet, the Niners still will have to chase an elusive Patrick Mahomes.
Why the 49ers Will Record More Interceptions
The Niners led the NFL in interceptions this season with 22. Now, they hope to keep picking off passes. They will need their pass rush to pressure Mahomes to force him into bad passes, which will help set up interception opportunities. Charvarius Ward had five interceptions to lead the Niners. Likewise, Fred Warner had four. Deommodore Lenoir is not the best but even he finished with three interceptions. Ji'ayir Brown and Dre Greenlaw each had two interceptions.
The 49ers had two interceptions against the Packers, with both coming in the second half. Yet, they could not pick off a single pass against Jared Goff when they faced the Lions. When the Niners do not get pressure on the quarterback, they rarely pick off passes. It is all about getting to Mahomes and making him make a mistake.
The Chiefs Will Record More Interceptions
The Chiefs finished with only eight interceptions, which was 27th in the league. Similar to the 49ers, they need their pass rush to get to the quarterback. The secondary does not do much.
They had an interception against the Dolphins. However, they did not register a single pick against either the Bills or the Ravens. They will need to pressure Brock Purdy to have a chance of getting a pick.
Final Best Defensive Props Prediction & Pick
The Chiefs and Niners will both be on a mission. It is possible that both offenses and defenses excel in some way. If you need to make a pick on sacks and interceptions, expect less than 4.5 sacks because Purdy and Mahomes are two of the most elusive quarterbacks in the league. I could easily see four sacks, exactly. But I could see the Niners getting at least one more interception than the Chiefs.
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Final Defensive Props Prediction & Pick: Under 4.5 sacks: (-164), San Francisco 49ers interceptions leader: (+106)
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