Super Bowl 2021 predictions and latest odds – winners, MVP and more
We bring you all the latest Super Bowl predictions and odds ahead of the big game between Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Super Bowl 2021 weekend is upon us and fans are in full prediction mode, staking their tents, nailing their colours to masts in varying shades of red, and hunkering down for that "I told you so" moment. So here's our effort.
Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes will lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs out at Raymond James Stadium for Super Bowl LV on Sunday night, in what could be one of the most unpredictable and exciting match-ups in years, even if you don't fully understand the Super Bowl rules.
Brady – six-time Super Bowl king – versus reigning champion Mahomes has all the ingredients for a classic, but how will it all go down?
RadioTimes.com brings you the biggest predictions ahead of Super Bowl LV including the eventual winners of Chiefs v Buccaneers, Super Bowl MVP and more.
Who will win the Super Bowl?
This really is a toss up between two sides who boast immense credentials; both would deserve it, but only one set of stars can smear their fingerprints all across the pristine Vince Lombardi before it is hoisted high.
An underestimated aspect of this clash may be the Buccaneers' defence. It was they who successfully neutralised Aaron Rodgers in the dying stages of the NFC Championship game; it was they who kept Green Bay's offence from going to work.
And that's exactly what they need to do here. The Bucs' D has made steady progress in recent seasons, slowly growing to become a true force. If they can sterilise Mahomes – at least in part – as they have done against Rodgers and Drew Brees in the previous round, it could be enough to give the Bucs' main man a shot at controlling the show. Again.
Our prediction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3.5 (4/5 at bet365)
Who will be Super Bowl MVP?
Now, about that main man. Tom Brady was born to win Super Bowls. He roams this Earth collecting rings with Thanos-esque inevitability. He is the man – above all throughout NFL history – you want to spearhead your Super Bowl roster.
His opposite number Mahomes is, of course, in contention. Should the Chiefs defend their crown, it will be likely the magic gloves of Mahomes have orchestrated the win.
Aside from the quarterback pairing, Chiefs duo TE Travis Kelce and WR Tyreek Hill are two of Mahomes' greatest weapons. Both could dish out serious damage and earn their place in the MVP conversation.
If Brady's Bucs triumph, he will gobble up the headlines and likely scoop the prestigious gong, but WR Chris Godwin – a man who accounts for over 25 per cent of Brady's 2020 post-season yardage – is a very tasty contender especially as a 30/1 shot.
Our prediction: Tom Brady (15/8 at bet365)
Will Tom Brady retire after Super Bowl?
People have questioned when the end will come for Brady long before his 40th birthday. That milestone came and went, Brady won a final Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, moved to Florida and guided Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl.
The man is not slowing down. Instead, he's doubling-down. He traded in a Patriots team that had lost its sheen for a swashbuckling Buccaneers ship that needed a captain. He's back in contention, and so long as he's in contention, he's playing.
Earlier in the week, Brady said he is "definitely" considering playing beyond the age of 45 – where no Super Bowl quarterback has ever gone before.
That could mean another two seasons of Brady pulling strings at the highest level, at least. Is Tom Brady going to pull off a shock retirement, win or lose, after Super Bowl LV?
Our prediction: No.
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Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
