Super Bowl LV Bold Prediction: Both defenses will outshine both offenses in Super Bowl LV

You’ve followed along all season. Now we’re bringing it to you individually. The Bucs Nation staff will be giving you a series of bold predictions for the game one by one, day by day as we head into Super Bowl LV between the Buccaneers and the Chiefs where we sum it all up for you and give you the chance to vote for your favorite bold prediction the morning of the big game.

When you hear the names Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, the first thing that comes to mind is excellent quarterback play. Well, excellent quarterback play leads to efficient offense and efficient offense means points. Lots of points.

In other words, I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who expect Super Bowl LV to be a shootout. I mean, Vegas does. Per betonline.ag, the over/under opened at 57.5 points. That’s pretty high, even for NFL standards.

But what if I told you that Sunday’s matchup between the Bucs and the Chiefs won’t be a shootout. What if I told you that it will actually be a defensive game?

Now, don’t get me wrong. A defensive game in 2020 is far different from one in let’s say, 1985. Or 1995. Hell, even 2005. I think you could make an argument that anything under 50 combined points is considered a low-scoring affair these days.

These two teams combined for 960 total yards of offense, 51 points, and six touchdowns in Week 12. That’s a lot of yards and a decent amount of points and touchdowns. A lot of teams would be happy with that offensive output and they should be.

But if you go back and watch the Week 12 tape, you’ll notice that both defenses affected the game. Kansas City made Tampa Bay’s life hell during the first 3-1/2 quarters and the Bucs held the Chiefs to one touchdown during the second half.

I think the defenses will steal the spotlight from the offenses in this game. The presence of Vita Vea and Juan Thornhill’s return to full health will not only add extra layers to two good defenses, but they’ll also be difference-makers in terms of what happens on the field.

And don’t forget the guys named Tyrann Mathieu, Jason Pierre-Paul, Frank Clark, Ndamukong Suh, Chris Jones, Shaq Barrett, and all the others.

So, with all this said, both teams will combine for less than 700 total yards of offense, less than 45 combined points, and four or fewer combined touchdowns. But here’s the icing on the cake: There will be more combined turnovers than there will be combined touchdowns in this game.

Score Prediction: Chiefs 23, Bucs 20

Super Bowl LV Bold Predictions Series

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