One of the biggest games on the calendar is right around the corner with Super Bowl LVIII kickoff on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET, featuring the San Francisco 49ers out of the NFC and the reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs from the AFC.
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So much is on the line as Kansas City is looking to become the first team to repeat as Super Bowl Champions since the 2003-04 New England Patriots.
The popularity is as high as it could possibly be as this year’s championship takes place in Las Vegas, playing at one of the newest football arenas in the NFL at Allegiant Stadium.
A lot of people across the country and around the world are making their selection as to who will take home this year’s Lombardi Trophy.
Here is a look at some of the celebrity and experts’ picks for the Super Bowl.
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Joe Montana
Joe Montana played 13 seasons in the Bay Area for the 49ers before playing in Kansas City for his final two seasons in an NFL uniform. He helped San Francisco win four Super Bowls in 1982, 1985, 1989, and 1990 and was named the Super Bowl MVP three times.
In addition, after being a seven-time Pro Bowler in the Bay Area, he earned his eighth nod in his first season with the Chiefs in 1993. He helped Kansas City reach the postseason in both seasons of 1993 and 1994, including getting to the Conference Championship in 1993 before losing to Buffalo.
As a result, this decision came down to splitting hair as he made his decision on The Rich Eisen Show, ultimately choosing San Francisco, the same team Montana threw five touchdown passes, including three to wide receiver Jerry Rice in a 55-10 championship win over Denver in Super Bowl XXIV in January 1990.
Taylor Lewan
Taylor Lewan, who played his entire nine-year NFL career with the Tennessee Titans, has selected the San Francisco 49ers to secure the trophy after the game on Sunday after a back-and-forth discussion with himself.
“My heart says Niners, my brain says Chiefs. 49ers by four,” said Lewan, who accumulated three Pro Bowls while playing left tackle.
First prediction of Super Bowl week here in Vegas. Who is @TaylorLewan77 taking?! @BussinWTB pic.twitter.com/fAh1yG9w61
— Sportsnaut (@Sportsnaut) February 7, 2024
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Andrew Whitworth
Andrew Whitworth made his Super Bowl pick on the Rich Eisen Show, and like Lewan, Whitworth went with the Niners by four.
Whitworth, who was part of the Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl Championship team in 2022 and has been part of the Thursday Night Football broadcast team on Amazon Prime video for the last two seasons, said he still has not learned from picking the Chiefs to win during their playoff run over the last few weeks.
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Chad Ochocinco
Chad Johnson, better known as Chad Ochocinco, made his pick earlier this week on Radio Row at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Johnson, who earned six Pro Bowl nods and two All-Pro selections during his 11-year career between Cincinnati and New England, made his pick in favor of the reigning champions and put more on the line than money when he was live with Bleacher Report.
“If the Chiefs lose, I won’t eat McDonalds anymore. Ever,” Ochocinco said.
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Skip Bayless
On his own show, Skip Bayless made his Super Bowl pick with some reasoning.
On The Skip Bayless Show, he selected the Chiefs because of the experience at the quarterback position.
Bayless also said Kansas City was going to repeat as champions because Mahomes will not commit a turnover in a close, two-point victory, in favor of the Chiefs.
“I believe he will win the Super Bowl. He won’t make any mistakes, no interceptions, no sack fumbles, no lost fumbles on scrambles,” Bayless said of Mahomes on Feb. 8. “And I believe Brock Purdy will throw two interceptions and they will cost San Francisco a close game.”
“I’ll call it 24-22 Chiefs. For me, a very evenly matched football game just boils down to Patrick Mahomes or Brock Purdy. Simple as that to me. Do you want the ‘greatest quarterback ever’ already? Or do you want Mr. Irrelevant? I think I want No. 15 for the Chiefs.”
Stephen A. Smith & Shannon Sharpe’s Super Bowl picks
The two men who star in ESPN’s First Take made their selection to win Super Bowl 58 on Friday. Both Smith and Sharpe decided on each team with the Hall of Fame tight end choosing the 49ers to secure the victory as Smith chose the Chiefs to get the win.
Smith even said Kansas City was going to win 31-27.
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Rob Gronkowski
Like Whitworth, Rob Gronkowski also made his Super Bowl pick on a talk show.
Gronkowski was on the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon when he announced his decision on who will win Super Bowl 58, ultimately giving the edge to San Francisco.
“They’ve got a lot of firepower,” Gronkowski said. “They’ve got so many weapons at every position. Wide receiver, running back, tight end, their offensive line is solid. They’ve got a pretty solid defense. Kansas City’s defense has been showing up like no other, though, this year. But I’m still going to go with the 49ers.”
“I think it is this time they are going to do it.”
Cameron Heyward
Before he was named the 2023 recipient of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award during Thursday night’s NFL honors ceremony for his excellence on and off the field, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward made his selection ahead of Sunday’s big game.
He decided to go in the route of the team who is looking to win their first Super Bowl in 30 years, the 49ers.
Kirk Cousins
Another NFL player announced their prediction as to which team will hoist the Lombardi Trophy after the Super in Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins, who was limited to eight games this season due to a torn Achilles tendon.
Cousins joined CBS Mornings to talk football, in addition to his Super Bowl pick.
He selected San Francisco to win by one, 28-27, as a result of leaning on 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, who coached Cousins as he was making his first appearances in the NFL during their time together in Washington.
“I was coached by Kyle Shanahan my first two years,” Cousins said Friday. “He’s the reason I was drafted and he’s believed in me my whole career. I got to pull for Kyle Shanahan. He doesn’t have a ring yet, he deserves one, he’s probably the best coach in football. I’m pulling hard for the Niners.”
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