The Super Bowl is rapidly approaching, which means the NFL hype is building across the US. This year, the event will be hosted in Las Vegas’s brand-new Allegiant Stadium, marking the first-ever time that the NFL’s championship game will be played in the City of Lights. Like football fans across the nation, the city is gearing up for a no-holds-barred Super Bowl weekend packed full of fun.
Festivities aside, there’s added meaning for football fans flocking to the Strip. Historically, the Strip was one of the only places where sports bettors in the US could shop around for lines and place their wagers. Today, legacy brands like Caesar’s Sportbook have shifted online to offer bonuses to newcomers. Depending on state regulations, sports bettors can find all types of betting bonuses on Oddschecker.com and find welcome deals straight from their phones.
Sports betting aside, Vegas will also offer visitors a few other unforgettable experiences. Reba McEntire will open up the ceremony with a performance, then Usher will take over for halftime. Meanwhile, and most importantly, the San Francisco 49ers will attempt to prevent the Kansas City Chiefs from becoming the NFL’s next bona fide dynasty. Though oddsmakers have listed the 49ers as the favorite, there’s no guarantee about how the game will pan out at Allegiant.
Let’s take a look at a few of the most interesting storylines before the big day.
The 49ers as Favorites
Most analysts favor the 49ers to come out on top thanks to a superior regular season finish. However, not all pundits are so convinced. Patrick Mahomes has a particular skill in the postseason that, if studied closely, could signify that the Chiefs are prepared to take home their third Super Bowl in five years. Though Mahomes hasn’t been quite as firm in championship games as the rest of the playoffs, his skill and focus are undeniable.
Others have pointed out that the 49ers only barely skated by the Detroit Lions—and largely only because the Lions suffered a full-scale meltdown. The question boils down to… which matchup would you take: Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes or Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy?
The Kyle Shanahan Question
Mahomes has his own history in the postseason that’s worth studying closely. But when picking apart Shanahan’s performance in Super Bowls, there’s a precedent for choking. Specifically, Shanahan has a history of blowing a solid lead in the championship.
The first event came during the Atlanta Falcons 2016 Super Bowl appearance in which they somehow fumbled a 28-3 lead against the New England Patriots. Given that the team was helmed by Tom Brady, there are plenty of excuses to be made for the Falcons.
However, Shanahan was also behind the 49ers last loss against the Chiefs. In one of the most spectacular late-game comebacks in Super Bowl history, Shanahan’s side lost late in the fourth quarter, handing the Chiefs their first Super Bowl win in half a century.
All Eyes on Allegiant
Matchup analysis aside, the Vegas Super Bowl is sure to be a hit for any fan who managed to purchase tickets. As a pricey city, tickets were already ballooning quickly at the end of 2023. However, some speculate that Taylor Swift’s highly publicized relationship with Travis Kelce taking off is the reason behind soaring ticket prices. However, it’s worth pointing out that 2021’s Super Bowl had similarly insane prices—meaning the upsurge might be more about the location than the pop star.
It’s once again worth pointing out that the NFL hosting its Super Bowl in Vegas is huge news. As recently as 2002, the NFL refused to air an advert for the City of Lights during its Super Bowl halftime reels. The commercial didn’t mention sports betting or casinos, but coined the phrase, ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’. The line proved a little too risqué for the NFL and was cut from the final ads.
Twenty years later, the NFL has not only warmed to Vegas, but has even relocated the Oakland Raiders to the city. This Super Bowl solidifies the NFL’s presence in Vegas.