FOX Sports’ Dave Helman has provided his predictions for Sunday’s highly-anticipated season finale between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LVIII. As the host of the NFL on FOX Podcast, Helman shared his thoughts and betting picks for the upcoming clash in Las Vegas. He joined FOX Sports gambling analysts Chris Fallica and Geoff Schwartz on the episode to discuss their picks and favorite prop bets for the championship match.
Helman expressed confidence in his first pick, stating, “Of all the things you could bet on in this game, I feel so rock solid about this.” He highlighted the Chiefs’ reliance on a particular player, stating, “Since Thanksgiving, he’s gone over that in six of nine games. The Chiefs figured out halfway through the season ‘this is the only guy other than Travis (Kelce) that we can trust – we’re gonna feed him the ball’.” He also mentioned the Chiefs’ consistent use of short passes behind and within five yards of the line of scrimmage.
Schwartz, a former offensive guard for the Chiefs, commented on the 49ers’ defensive strategy, stating, “The 49ers are a defense that’s very static – they line-up and do not move on defense, which is a really bad way to play against Kansas City.” He explained that the Chiefs’ quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, excels at quickly finding openings in zone defenses, making wide receiver Rice a likely target. Schwartz predicted that Rice could have a high number of receptions in the game.
Helman then discussed his second pick, which was Kyle Juszczyk to have over half a catch. He justified his choice by stating that it seemed like a safe bet against the Chiefs’ pass rush and that Juszczyk could serve as an easy outlet for the 49ers. He anticipated that the 49ers would frequently use a large number of players on offense, making Juszczyk’s involvement likely. Helman expressed confidence that if Juszczyk catches just one pass, the bet would be successful.
For his final pick, Helman went with his heart and supported Clyde Edwards-Helaire, an alumnus of Louisiana State University, to score a touchdown at any time. Although he admitted that he didn’t feel extremely confident about it, he believed it would be enjoyable if Edwards-Helaire succeeded. Fallica agreed with Helman, stating that unexpected players often score in games like these, making the pick reasonable.
In summary, Helman provided his predictions and betting picks for the Super Bowl LVIII showdown between the 49ers and the Chiefs. He discussed the Chiefs’ reliance on a specific player, the 49ers’ defensive strategy, and his picks for individual player performances.