FanDuel NFL Best Bets: TSN staff picks for Super Bowl LVIII

Each week, members from our betting team will share their best bets from the slate of NFL games in hopes of building the ultimate 8-leg parlay on FanDuel.

You can ride the parlay or play the picks on their own, but we made sure to leave an empty space in the box for you to join in and add your biggest lock for the week! Just save the image below and add your own pick to the middle square if you want in on the parlay.

Here’s what we’re rolling with for Super Bowl LVIII. 

Domenic Padula: Isiah Pacheco over 15.5 rushing attempts, Patrick Mahomes 25+ rushing yards

You can check out my full betting card for Super Bowl 58 in Friday’s Morning Coffee column. These are my two favourite plays. The Chiefs run a ton of outside zone, which happens to be a favourable match-up against a 49ers defence that was beat up by Aaron Jones, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs on the edges in playoff wins over Green Bay and Detroit. Pacheco has 15 or more touches in every game this postseason and 20 or more in two of them. I expect him to be busy again on Sunday with 16 or more carries. Meanwhile, Mahomes has registered some big runs in past playoff games, and he could easily get 15 or more yards on one scramble against the 49ers. Perhaps we see a designed run or two as well. 25 rushing yards seems very realistic from Mahomes in Super Bowl 58.

Christian Marin: Travis Kelce 6+ receptions 

Travis Kelce has seen double-digit targets in two of the Kansas City Chiefs’ three playoff games so far this year, and I think there’s a good chance Patrick Mahomes attempts at least 10 passes in his tight end’s direction in Super Bowl LVIII. 

Kelce has made at least six catches in eight of his last 10 playoff games and 12 of his last 15 playoff games. On top of that, Kelce has seen at least six targets in all three Super Bowl games he has played in so far, and he made at least six catches in each of those three games. 

With everything on the line on Sunday I expect Mahomes to put a lot of trust in his go-to guy and feed him as many passes as he possibly can. 

If the Chiefs win this game I think Kelce ends up as the Super Bowl MVP, but I’ll rock with his targets as my best bet. 

Chris Brieda: Brock Purdy over 12.5 rushing yards

I’ll take one ticket to Purdy Island please.

Some of Brock Purdy’s best moments this postseason have been while he’s using his legs.

His improvisation on fourth quarter runs in each of San Fran’s playoff games didn’t just flex his offensive awareness. They were clutch.

His line for Super Bowl LVIII is 12.5 yards, and he’s gone over this number in each game this postseason.

His rushes per game has also gone up from 2.4 during the regular season to 5.5 during the playoffs.

Against the Packers he rushed for 14 yards on six carries, against the Lions he shredded for 48 yards on five runs.

Steve Spagnuolo’s Chiefs defence also had the 4th highest blitz rate in the NFL this season, which should have Mr. Relevant* on the move with his head on a swivel all game.

Run Purdy run!

Connor Ford: Either Team to Score a Touchdown on their Opening Drive - Yes (+116)

Since it’s my last NFL pick of the season, I figured I would have some fun. Who can say no to an opening drive touchdown in the Super Bowl? 

Super Bowl LVIII features a head coaching matchup of epic proportions. Kyle Shanahan is widely regarded as one of the best play callers in the league, while Andy Reid is often referred to as an offensive genius. I suspect that both coaches will have a creative game plan on their opening drives. 

The 49ers have scored on 12 of their 19 opening drives this season, with 10 of those being touchdowns. The Chiefs struggled to find that same type of success in the regular season, but they seem to always find a way in the postseason. Kansas City has scored on their opening drive in eight straight playoff games. Six of those drives have resulted in a touchdown. 

This prop is simply too intriguing to turn down. I’ll take either team to score a touchdown on their opening drive as my best bet for the Super Bowl. 

Drew Morrison: Kansas City Chiefs +2.5 

This feels a lot like Super Bowl LV.  The Chiefs were 3.5 point favourites against the Bucs, if you’ll recall.  KC was the best team in the regular season, Tampa was the hotter and healthier team entering the big game.  KC had the high powered offence full of elite weapons, Tampa had the dominant defence coming together at the right time.  Oh, Tampa had Tom Brady. 

I didn’t understand why the Bucs were underdogs in that game, I remember thinking I’d still love Tom-pa as a 3.5 point favourite!  I remember thinking I was missing something, that people smarter than I were considering variables beyond my comprehension.  After so much self doubt, the Bucs won in a blowout and Brady hoisted his seventh Lombardi trophy.

Fast forward three years and the Chiefs are the new Bucs in this potentially similar scenario.  In case you missed the comparison, Mahomes is the new Brady.  Don’t bet against him.  

Luke Bellus: Over 17.5 million Canadian Viewers watch the game 

Last year's Super Bowl drew a peak of 17.3 million unique Canadian viewers. 

This year Canada is going to shatter that number. 

The AFC Championship game between the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens draw the highest viewership on record. 

While the playoffs have also seen an increase of nine per cent over last year. 

Here are the peak of unique viewers in Canada over the last five Super Bowls: 

16.9
18.7 
17.6
16.9
17.3 

This year I expect the number to be north of 17.5 for one reason and one reason only. 

The Swifties. 

They have showed up every step of the way this season, and I expect them to be out in full-force for the final game of the season. 

I'm also 50 per cent confident heads will win the coin toss, just a feeling. 

Enjoy the game, and thanks for riding with us all season long. 

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