Super Bowl LV kicks off on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET, with the Kansas City Chiefs looking to defend their title against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bucs quarterback Tom Brady will be seeking his seventh ring -- and first outside of New England -- while Patrick Mahomes will be trying to earn his second in three seasons as the Chiefs' starting QB. Sunday will mark the first Super Bowl between starting QBs who have previously won a Super Bowl and an MVP award.

Our NFL team has you covered with everything you'd ever want to know for Chiefs-Buccaneers, including team previews, bold predictions and game picks. We also provide betting advice from our ESPN Chalk experts, game-plan breakdowns from our analysts and in-depth statistics from our ESPN Stats & Information team. We look at the two quarterbacks, the head coaches and some X factors as well. And to wrap it up, we'll tell you how COVID-19 protocols will impact the game Sunday.

It's all here in a handy one-stop cheat sheet. Let's dive in, starting with an overview of the exciting matchup.

Jump to:
Preview Picks Stats to know
Bold calls Quarterbacks MVP watch
Matchup Betting advice Injuries
Coaches How the teams got here
Officiating COVID protocol

1 day ago  NFL Super Bowl betting odds lines picks predictions prop bets props Super Bowl prop bets: Bank on these 6 prop bets to cash The Kansas City Chiefs square off with the Tampa Bay. 2 days ago  If you made NFL picks for the side and total and say up to 10 prop. Yourself a profit or having the chance to double down on is essentially the same bet is an added benefit of in-game betting. Wild Card Weekend Recap. The best bet was OVER 51 on the game total, and it finished at exactly 51 with a score of 24-27. That bet was a PUSH, which means the total/spread.

Previewing Chiefs vs. Buccaneers

1. Analyzing NFL odds, lines and spreads, with football sports betting advice and tips around the NFL’s top football events. We also provide game-by-game expert picks and predictions to help you make more informed NFL.
2. 18 hours ago  He hit over 65% of his picks in his 2018 and 2019 NFL Totals, and he's always looking for a teaser to chase. Mainly a cash player in DFS, Noonan loves applying that process to the player prop market as well. He is the host of Move The Line NFL.

When: Sunday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Television: CBS (and ESPN Deportes)
Depth charts: Chiefs Buccaneers

Most of the pregame hype has focused on the two quarterbacks, and given their track records, you can understand why. When these two teams met in Week 12, Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady combined to throw for 807 yards and six touchdowns. Each team's star wide receiver had a multi-touchdown game, as Tampa Bay's Mike Evans scored twice late after Kansas City's Tyreek Hill racked up an unreal 269 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the way to a 27-24 Chiefs win.

It's tough to imagine this rematch turning into a defensive battle. At the same time, as I've thought more and more about this game, I've been focused more on the defensive coordinators. Tampa Bay's Todd Bowles and Kansas City's Steve Spagnuolo are two of the most creative, fertile minds in the business, and they've had two weeks to piece together creative game plans. More than anything, I've thought about how Bowles might try to accomplish what has seemingly been impossible. How on earth do you try to stop the Chiefs? -- Bill Barnwell, senior NFL writer

Read more: Barnwell's complete preview of Super Bowl LV ... First look at Chiefs-Bucs: Early picks, big questions ... Take our Super Bowl quiz

What ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) says

• FPI predicts a Chiefs victory in 52.1% of its simulations by an average of 0.7 points.

• Our matchup rating grades Chiefs-Buccaneers as a 98.7 on a scale of 1 to 100. It is the second-highest Super Bowl matchup rating since 2009 behind the Seahawks-Broncos matchup in 2014 (99.6). It is also the highest-rated matchup of the 2020 season, narrowly beating out the previous Chiefs-Bucs matchup in Week 12 (98.1).

• The Chiefs were No. 1 in FPI this season, while the Buccaneers were No. 3. Both teams were also in the top five in overall efficiency rating.

• In the preseason, the Chiefs had a 36.2% chance to make the Super Bowl per FPI, but the Buccaneers were looking at an 8.9% chance.

Who wins the game?

We asked 108 experts to weigh in on who will win.

• The Chiefs were picked by 81 of them (75%).

• The Buccaneers claimed 27 votes (25%).

Read more: ESPN's staff predictions ... Madden 21's simulation ... Chris Berman's pick

Key stats to know

Team stats: Chiefs Buccaneers

• The Buccaneers will be the first team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium. It will be the team's second Super Bowl appearance, and it will mark the fifth time since 2000 that a wild card has made it. Each of the previous four teams went on to win. The Chiefs, meanwhile, are in their fourth ever appearance and are trying to become the first repeat champion since the 2003-04 Patriots.

• The Chiefs (303.4) and Bucs (289.1) finished 1-2 in passing yards per game during the regular season. Per Elias Sports Bureau research, this will be the first Super Bowl ever to feature the top two passing offenses in the NFL.

• Kansas City generated pressure on 35.8% of opponent passing plays this season, second best in the NFL, and Brady ranked 27th in QBR under pressure (10.6). Per ESPN metrics/NFL Next Gen Stats, Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones had the second-best pass rush win rate as an interior rusher this season (20.3%), trailing only Aaron Donald. On the other side of the ball, Mahomes leads the NFL in QBR when pressured (75.6), but Tampa Bay's Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaquil Barrett both rank top-five in pass rush win rate among edge rushers this postseason.

• During the regular season, the Buccaneers ran the ball by design 34% of the time, which ranked 26th in the NFL. They finished tied for 28th in rushing offense (94.9 yards per game). According to Elias, only one Super Bowl-winning team has averaged fewer than 95 rushing yards per game during the regular season (2011 Giants).

• The Chiefs have allowed touchdowns on 76.6% of red zone possessions, worse than any other team in the league and the worst mark by a Super Bowl team in the past 20 years. Only five other Super Bowl defenses had a red zone efficiency at or above 60%, and their collective Super Bowl records were 0-5. Tampa Bay's Evans has nine red zone touchdown catches this season (including playoffs).

• Tampa Bay's defense has produced seven takeaways this postseason. Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting can join Rodney Harrison and Aeneas Williams as the only players to record an interception in four consecutive playoff games if he hauls one in on Sunday.

• Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (418) and Buccaneers wideout Chris Godwin (398) are first and second in receiving yards when put in motion or shifted, and they are tied for the most TDs on such plays (four).

Bold predictions

Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu will have a pair of interceptions. He played more at safety than slot corner over the second half of the season, and he has five interceptions in his past seven games, including one against Brady and the Bucs in Week 12. -- Adam Teicher, Chiefs reporter

Bucs tight end Rob Gronkowski will catch his 13th career playoff touchdown pass from Brady, breaking a tie with Joe Montana and Jerry Rice for the most touchdowns for a duo in postseason history. Gronk hasn't caught a touchdown pass from Brady since December, but with two weeks of prep time and so much experience between the two -- plus Gronk's 106-yard performance against the Chiefs in Week 12 -- it has to happen. -- Jenna Laine, Buccaneers reporter

Brady will score four touchdowns en route to winning his fifth Super Bowl MVP. Brady has accounted for four-plus scores in five games already this season but has done so in only three career playoff games (most recently in 2011). The Chiefs, meanwhile, allowed 36 touchdowns to quarterbacks during the regular season (sixth most). The Bucs have scored at least three offensive TDs in 10 consecutive games, and with Brady at the controls, they're a decent bet to do it again Sunday. -- Mike Clay, NFL analyst

The quarterback matchup

Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

If Mahomes wins, he will be the first quarterback ever to have two championships and an MVP award at 25 years old. (He'd join Emmitt Smith as the only players to do this in NFL history.) He dazzled again this season, throwing for 4,740 yards, 38 touchdowns and six interceptions en route to an 82.9 Total QBR. Excelling on off-schedule throws and slinging the deep ball, Mahomes doesn't have many weaknesses. And more bad news for the Bucs: He has won 12 straight road/neutral-site games and is 3-1 over the past three postseasons when trailing by 10 or more points. Even an early two-score lead for Tampa might not be enough to stop Mahomes.

Tom Brady, Buccaneers

Brady is playing in his 10th Super Bowl, which means he'll have started in 48% of the Super Bowls played since he came into the NFL in 2000. Seeking his seventh title, the 43-year-old will be making his third Super Bowl start since turning 40 -- no other QB has started even one at 40 or older. Brady has 33 career postseason wins, more than 28 active franchises, and has led six game-winning drives in the Super Bowl over his career, per Elias. This season, his first away from New England, he tallied 4,633 passing yards, 40 touchdown throws, 12 interceptions and a 72.6 Total QBR. His 13 TDs on throws at least 20 yards downfield are his most in a season since throwing 13 in his 2007 MVP campaign.

Read more: Let's stop the Brady-Belichick debate and just appreciate what Brady did this season ... Brady's 10 Super Bowl paths from easiest to toughest ... Mahomes vs. Brady: A clash of eras ... Mahomes could join select club of QBs to top Brady in Super Bowl ... Even Brady has limits -- and embracing them is what got him here ... Round 5 of Mahomes vs. Brady

Who wins Super Bowl MVP?

Dan Graziano, national NFL writer: Brady. I think the Chiefs' offensive line issues show up just enough to make a difference in this game, which I still expect to be high scoring. The Bucs' offense is operating at a high level right now, and Brady will make enough plays down the field to win his seventh Super Bowl title.

Mina Kimes, NFL analyst: Mahomes. Yes, he is fortunate to play with arguably the best combination of head coach, No. 1 wide receiver and tight end in the NFL -- but he is also playing behind a ramshackle offensive line that will be facing a fearsome Bucs pass rush. He's going to have to make some dazzling plays on the run to pull off the win.

Jason Reid, The Undefeated writer: Mahomes. While sharing the game's biggest stage with the greatest quarterback in NFL history, Mahomes will shut the door on one era and add a big accomplishment to his own.

Seth Wickersham, NFL writer: Pierre-Paul. Bowles' strength as a defensive coach is attacking the opponent's offensive line, and the Chiefs are thin there. JPP will have a monster game.

Field Yates, NFL analyst: Mahomes. The Bucs are going to be able to hang offensively with Kansas City, which means Mahomes needs to be at his best. And while he won the Super Bowl MVP award last year, his performance wasn't eye-popping, and I expect a stronger showing this Sunday.

• Of the 108 experts who weighed in, 61 picked Mahomes to win Super Bowl MVP. See all of our experts' picks.

• Mahomes is the betting favorite at -120 at Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill. Brady is 9-5, while Hill and Kelce at 9-1.

Inside the game plan

I'm keeping my eye on how Buccaneers edge rushers Pierre-Paul and Barrett match up with the Chiefs' offensive line. With the expectation that the Bucs will play more split-safety coverages on Sunday night to limit the deep-ball ability of Hill, our focus should be on the Tampa Bay defensive line. Look for Bowles to scheme isolation matchups with his front four, creating edge one-on-ones for Pierre-Paul and Barrett versus that depleted Chiefs offensive line. The idea here is to squeeze the pocket and pressure Mahomes while playing disciplined zone coverage on the back end. -- Matt Bowen, NFL analyst

Buccaneers X factor: Devin White, LB

White recorded the second-highest pass rush win rate among off-ball linebackers this season (36%), behind only Deion Jones. But in coverage, there are questions. In the regular season, White allowed the third-most expected points added as the nearest defender to the target of all linebackers, per NFL Next Gen Stats. -- Seth Walder, analytics writer

Chiefs X factor: Andrew Wylie, OL

He's expected to shift over to right tackle with Mike Remmers moving to the left side following Eric Fisher's injury. And Wylie draws a crucial matchup on the outside, squaring off against Barrett, who ranked 10th in pass rush win rate at edge this season and has played more on that side of the line since the Bucs' bye week. Wylie ranked 16th among guards in pass block win rate, but it's a different game outside, especially against a high-end pass rusher. -- Walder

Read more: Bowen's complete game-plan breakdown ... Ranking Chiefs and Bucs players ... Why Brady must locate Mathieu on every play ... The secret to Eric Bieniemy's unstoppable offense ... Smoked Sausage, Black Pearl, Ferrari Right: How Chiefs name their wild plays

How to bet Super Bowl LV

Current line from Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill: KC -3 (56)
PickCenter What to know

Total passing yards for Mahomes: Over/under 315.5
Total passing yards for Brady: Over/under 295.5
Total sacks by both teams: Over/under 4
Total touchdowns in the game: Over/under 6.5

Favorites have covered in two straight Super Bowls and in three of the past four big games. In Super Bowl history, favorites are 27-25-2 straight up. And in each of the past 11 seasons, the winner has also covered the spread. Mahomes is 27-13-1 against the spread when he is not a double-digit favorite, but Brady is 41-17-1 against the spread as an underdog in his career, both best in the Super Bowl era.

Looking at the over/under, the past two Super Bowls fell short of the total, but it's 10-10 over the past 20 games. All time, it's also split at 26-26-1 (there was no total in Super Bowl I). -- David Bearman, ESPN Chalk

Read more: Betting nuggets ... Best bets for the Super Bowl ... Biggest bets at U.S. sportsbooks ... Prop bet scorecard ... 'Startling' amount bet on Super Bowl coin toss

Who is in, and who is out?

Injury reports: Chiefs Buccaneers

Chiefs receiver Sammy Watkins is optimistic that he will be able to play for the first time since Week 16 because of a calf injury, though he began the practice week on Wednesday as a limited participant. Running back Le'Veon Bell's sore knee makes his availability in doubt, though he has slipped down the depth chart and doesn't figure to get a big workload even if he plays. -- Teicher

Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (ankle), receiver Antonio Brown (knee), safety Jordan Whitehead (shoulder) and linebacker Lavonte David (hamstring) have been practicing this week, but on a limited basis. With Winfield and Brown, the issue is monitoring swelling, while with Whitehead, it's more about the use of his arm. David suffered his injury in the third quarter against the Packers and played through it, so there seems to be less concern about him. -- Laine

Read more: Chiefs activate Robinson off reserve/COVID-19 list ... Bell, Watkins, Brown and Winfield expected to play in Super Bowl ... Chiefs LT Fisher out with torn Achilles ... Watkins optimistic about playing in Super Bowl

The coaches

Andy Reid, Chiefs

Reid ranks fifth on the all-time wins list for head coaches, but he's the only one in the top five without multiple championships. Sunday will mark his third Super Bowl appearance as a head coach (1-1). The Chiefs have averaged 27.2 points per game since he took over in 2013, the best mark in the AFC and second only to the Saints (28.0) in the NFL over that time.

Bruce Arians, Buccaneers

Per Elias, Arians will be the second-oldest head coach to reach the Super Bowl (behind Marv Levy). It's his second year as the coach of the Buccaneers after coming out of retirement in 2019. He has two Super Bowl titles as an assistant but has never won the big game as a head coach.

Read more: Fortune favors the bold for Arians ... Success, trust and burnt ends: Why everyone loves Reid ... Why the Bucs were the only team that could get Arians back to coaching ... Brady says everybody wants to win for Arians

How the Chiefs, Bucs got here

The Chiefs entered the 2020 season hot off a Super Bowl win and continued that momentum right out of the gate, winning 34-20 over Houston on opening night. They had to survive an overtime scare with the Chargers in Week 2 but moved swiftly to 4-0 to start the season. In mid-October, the Chiefs suffered their first loss of the season, giving up 40 points to the Raiders. Kansas City rattled off 10 straight wins from there before sitting starters in a Week 17 loss, having already wrapped up the AFC West and the No. 1 seed in the conference. The 14-2 Chiefs held off the Browns in the divisional round of the playoffs after Mahomes left the game, and then dismissed the Bills in the conference championship behind 172 receiving yards from Hill.

The Bucs' season began in the loss column, but they'd quickly right the ship after the Week 1 loss to the Saints and win seven of their next eight. A midseason stumble included a blowout by New Orleans (38-3), a close defeat to the Rams and that Week 12 loss to the Chiefs. But the Week 13 bye served its purpose, and the Buccaneers closed the season with four wins to lock up the No. 5 seed in the NFC and an 11-5 record. In the playoffs, Brady led Tampa Bay past Washington with 381 passing yards, then outdueled Drew Brees in the divisional round. And though Brady threw three interceptions against the Packers in the conference championship game, Tampa Bay won and reached the Super Bowl.

Best Sports Bets This Week

The Week 12 matchup: The Chiefs beat the Bucs earlier this season 27-24. This will be the 14th Super Bowl in which the teams also met in the regular season. The regular-season winner won seven of the previous 13 instances. In Week 12, Hill had 13 receptions for 269 yards and 3 TDs. The two teams combined for 807 passing yards, but neither reached 100 rushing yards.

What to know about the officiating

Referee Carl Cheffers will be working his second Super Bowl in five seasons, with an all-star crew that includes the first woman -- down judge Sarah Thomas -- to work the game. Cheffers' regular-season crew averaged an NFL-high 16 flags per game in 2020, a notable position given the leaguewide drop in penalties. He and his crew will take the field amid extreme scrutiny of the NFL officiating department following the championship round. (There were only six flags thrown in the NFC Championship Game, while the NFL's replay department reviewed and reversed an unreviewable play in the AFC Championship Game.) -- Kevin Seifert, national NFL writer

Read more: Sarah Thomas to become first woman to officiate at Super Bowl ... Explaining NFL officiating controversies from the playoffs

COVID-19 protocols in place

How is the NFL approaching the game?

The NFL has mandated that Chiefs and Buccaneers players must be tested twice daily for COVID-19 leading up to the Super Bowl. Any player who tests positive for the coronavirus will be ruled out for the game. But if a player is placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list and hasn't tested positive -- deemed a high-risk/close contact, as was the case with Demarcus Robinson and Daniel Kilgore of the Chiefs -- they have a chance to play if they continue to test negative. Both teams are working overtime to get to the season's finish line, with the Chiefs implementing a facility- and home-only policy. -- Jeremy Fowler, national NFL writer

Will there be fans?

The NFL announced updated plans this week to have 25,000 fans at Raymond James Stadium, where the normal capacity is 65,000. Of that total, 7,500 will be made up of vaccinated health workers who have received free tickets from the league. Most will be from the Tampa Bay area, but each of the league's 32 teams received an allotment for local awards. All fans will be required to wear masks, sit in pods that leave extra seats between unaffiliated parties and follow other COVID-19 protocols. -- Seifert

Read more: NFL testing twice daily for COVID-19 ahead of Super Bowl ... How the NFL navigated COVID-19 this season ... Tampa mayor issues outdoor mask order for Super Bowl ... Chiefs place Robinson, Kilgore on reserve/COVID-19 list ... Fauci warns against Super Bowl parties ... No COVID-19 scenario where Super Bowl LV would be moved ... Chiefs' barber tests positive amid haircuts, sources say

More preview must-reads

Even after all that, are you still hungry for more Super Bowl content? Check out our best stuff from the past two weeks.

Chiefs

Best Sports Betting Pick Sites

• Chiefs' return to Super Bowl validates mantra to 'Run it back'

• Thompson: Even in a strange year, the Chiefs represent the best of K.C.

• History says Chiefs likely will lose: Why it's so hard to repeat as Super Bowl champs

• Why Chiefs' offensive line depth could decide Super Bowl

• Have Hill and Kelce gotten better since burning Bucs in Week 12?

Buccaneers

• Brady's Tampa Bay timeline: Events that defined his first season with the Bucs

• Bucs' bye-week changes on defense key in propelling them to Super Bowl

• How Pierre-Paul's incredible amputation comeback is about more than just him

• From hot seat to Super Bowl: How GM Jason Licht built the Buccaneers

In-Game or live betting is part of the latest technology sports bettors have to add to the excitement to their wagering habits. Carefully read this article to understand all that is involved.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sunday, February 7, 2021 – 6:30 PM ET at Raymond James Stadium

In-game wagering is far more popular in Europe and other countries that are outside the United States and North America for that matter. The reasons are varied and most of it has to do with online sportsbooks that saw an opportunity in both soccer and tennis in particular. The pace of those sports and the breaks in the action allowed for real-time odds to be posted and the sports bettor to make quick decisions.

Baseball and American football offer a similar pace, but U.S. Americans are easily distracted and often are doing several things at once, which is a deterrent for in-game betting. This demands the ability to understand what you are seeing, thinking ahead and being a rational decision-maker who understands money management.

If in-game betting interest you and you would like to try it out, the Super Bowl is not a bad place to start, since it is one game and as long as you are in a place where you can focus and concentrate, you can pick up a few basics and become comfortable with the process and stop any time.

Why In-Game Betting Offers Everyone Value

For conventional NFL odds, oddsmakers have time to study historical situations, follow algorithms, check with their top experts and still adjust a number if it is slightly off long before a game starts.

For live betting, it's you vs. the algorithms and the person on the other side interpreting the data in real-time to make a snap judgment. That takes the odds against you down and levels the playing field. If you can make mistakes, there is another human who can do the same and if you’re quick, you can find opportunities to make money.

Prepare and Realize It's Fast, so Slow Yourself Down

If you made NFL picks for the side and total and say up to 10 prop bets for the Super Bowl, that is where you should start. We would recommend printing your bets out on paper and have them in front of you where you can continually review them.

Live betting is fast, really fast for newcomers. That's why you should make some low-limit bets to understand the speed and to learn the odds you just saw could change dramatically by the time you actually place your wager.

Most in-game betting platforms are going to give you the option to take a bet no matter what the odds are or take/pass if the odds got better or worse. The names could vary but you want a – Better Odds Button. This is how you create your own value and don’t get stuck with a bad number.

If it is moving too swiftly and your thoughts are spinning – STOP – start over and find a rhythm that meets your pace.

Hedge Betting and Doubling Down Options

Being able to all but guarantee yourself a profit or having the chance to double down on is essentially the same bet is an added benefit of in-game betting.

Say you had Kansas City on the money line for -165 and they are up 10 points at halftime, as Tampa Bay scored a touchdown right before the half. Tom Brady and the Bucs have the ball to start the second half and scored another touchdown and now trail by only three. You still like the Chiefs but are less certain.

Kansas City takes the ball and marches down the field to kick a field goal to go up by six. With 23 minutes left in the game, you have a new line that has Tampa Bay at +125 to win.

You bet -165 to win $100 to start with on K.C. You begin thinking Brady’s hot and his team can win. If you bet $80 on the Bucs, you would win $180. By hedging this way, if the Chiefs win you have a profit of $20 and if the Buccaneers are victorious, you found a way to pick up $15 profit on a losing bet.

Doubling down would look this way. You had Patrick Mahomes for OVER 330.5 passing yards. He throws for 225 in the first half, yet the Chiefs are only up three points. With Kansas City moving the ball up and down the field, but still needing more points to win, Mahomes will keep throwing. As long as the second half passing yards for Mahomes is 150 or less, you can make another OVER bet and possibly win twice.

Here Are Elements Not to Do For In-Game Betting

Though nobody wants to talk about it, always be aware of your wagers and think about money management. Don’t let a few losses send you into “chasing” setbacks, since that can only make things worse.

A common occurrence on Super Bowl betting is betting against yourself. In live betting you see a bet or a few bets that look irresistible with how the game is playing out at that moment. The problem, they are completely the opposite of bets you placed before the game. Betting against yourself is not a good strategy. Sometimes you just are wrong, don’t make it worse.

Lastly, never force opportunities. What looks good in the moment may cause regret later. One simple way to avoid this, ask yourself if you would be angry if you lost the best. If the answer is “yes” it is best to pass.

In conclusion, bet smart and have fun with in-game betting!