After a grueling and exhilarating season, San Francisco and Kansas City will square off in Super Bowl LVIII (that’s 58 if you don’t read Roman numerals) on Sunday, Feb. 11, in Las Vegas.
The relationship between the NFL and Las Vegas has changed dramatically since 2003, when the league banned a “What happens here, stays here” ad from the Super Bowl. What happened? As sports betting laws softened, the league came to embrace the city — and gambling on NFL games.
An estimated 50 million Americans wagered $16 billion on last year’s Super Bowl, which was won by Kansas City. A victory on Sunday would give the Chiefs their third title in five years. But oddsmakers made the 49ers, who last won it all in 1995, an early two-point favorite.
Feel good about those odds? A lot of bettors do and have started placing money on the Chiefs. Kansas City prevailed at Buffalo and Baltimore despite being underdogs in both playoff contests. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is 14-3 all-time in postseason games.
The 49ers were favored in two playoff games and roared back to win each, albeit by uncomfortably slim margins. But here’s some good news for San Francisco fans: Teams wearing white jerseys, like the 49ers will, are 16-3 over the last 19 Super Bowls. (Never mind that they wore white, and lost, to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.)
Sunday’s matchup promises to be a fiercely competitive and entertaining spectacle, and we’re delighted to bring it all to you in the following Magazines:
Super Bowl LVIII for everything related to the game. It will include Storyboards like this one, exploring the history of both teams.
Super Bowl, Minus the Sports for all the things around the game, like hit commercials, and Taylor Swift’s mad dash fromTokyo to the game. And of course, food for your Super Bowl party with great collections such as The Ultimate Game Day Spread. If you need more food ideas check out this Best Appetizers for Sharing Magazine.
Plus, many of football’s best publications are sharing their coverage on Flipboard, including ESPN, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, Sports Illustrated, and Larry Brown Sports.
The Super Bowl has become so much more than a game. It’s a cultural ritual that unites people for a good time on a winter day — regardless of their interest in sports. That’s something you can bet on.
— Mike Kord, sports/weekend editor, is curating the Super Bowl LVIII Magazine on Flipboard’s Sports Desk