Super Bowl 58 pick, prediction: San Francisco 49ers edge Kansas City Chiefs in thriller
There are now just two teams left in the NFL Playoffs.
Which team will be the last team standing after Super Bowl 58 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, Feb. 11?
Check out The Arizona Republic's Super Bowl pick and prediction for the showdown between the AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs and NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers.
The game is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. MST (6:30 p.m. EST) on Super Bowl Sunday and can be seen on CBS, Nickelodeon and Univision and streamed on Paramount+.
Will Super Bowl 58 be a thriller or a rout?
Which team will end up hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy?
Who will be the Super Bowl MVP?
Super Bowl 58: 49ers vs. Chiefs picks | The Arizona Republic's game prediction | Odds: Point spread, moneyline, over/under | Schedule: TV channels, how to watch
Sunday, Feb. 11 Super Bowl 58 prediction
This sets up to be a very intriguing Super Bowl, a rematch of Super Bowl 54 in which the Chiefs beat the 49ers, 31-20 on Feb. 2, 2020, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The 49ers, the No. 1 seed in the NFC, are coming off a 34-31 win against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game. They beat the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Playoffs Divisional Round, 24-21. San Francisco went 12-5 in the regular season.
The Chiefs, the No. 3 seed in the AFC, are coming off a 17-10 win against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. They beat the Buffalo Bills in the NFL Playoffs Divisional Round, 27-24 and the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card Round, 26-7. Kansas City went 11-6 in the regular season.
These teams did not play each other in the regular season.
The Chiefs have the experience factor in this game, as they are playing in their fourth Super Bowl in five years. They have won two of their first three appearances in the Super Bowl during that time., including last year's thriller over the Philadelphia Eagles in Glendale. Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid have proven to be a dynamic duo and can further cement their already legendary status with wins in this game. And Mahomes is still just 28 years old.
'Heck of a game manager': Brock Purdy quiets critics with San Francisco 49ers' comeback
The 49ers just feel like a team of destiny, however. No deficit has been too large for San Francisco to overcome in these playoffs, but they need to avoid a large deficit against the Chiefs, who would be a lot more difficult to come back on than the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.
San Francisco's defense will come up with some big plays late and Brock Purdy will be efficient enough to lead the 49ers to their first Super Bowl title since 1995 while winning Super Bowl MVP honors to further quiet his critics.
Prediction: 49ers 24, Chiefs 23
More: Rob Gronkowski, Kick of Destiny, back for Super Bowl 58 between 49ers, Chiefs
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Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Super Bowl 58 pick, prediction: Why 49ers will defeat Chiefs