Three Days until Superbowl LVIII - Predictions, Where to Watch, and the Central Florida Connection

By Cathy Padilla

The biggest night in football is just three days away with two teams meeting on the gridiron who have a combined 10 conference championship appearances in the last six years. On Sunday, February 11, at 6:30 p.m. the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Fransisco 49ers are set to face off for the Lombardi Trophy in Las Vegas, and depending on who wins the game, either Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs bring home their second consecutive Super Bowl win or Brock Purdy and the 49ers secure their first title in almost thirty years.

Whether you're a fan of either team or not, the game should make for exciting television. The rivalry between these two teams began in 2020 when they battled it out in Miami for Super Bowl LIV. The Chiefs won 31-20, clinching their first Super Bowl in 50 years. Last year almost saw a rematch when the 49ers came within one win of playing the Chiefs in last year's Super Bowl. The 49ers Coach Kyle Shanahan has said this upcoming rematch is a chance to settle 'unfinished business.'

Who is Favored to Win?

According to ESPN, the Chiefs once again have the advantage. ESPN asked 64 of their NFL analysts, writers, commentators, columnists, and pundits to make predictions for teh game and nearly 77% have the Chiefs winning. The most common predicted final score is 27-24, picked my eight of their experts. ESPN Bet, however, currently favors the 49ers by 1.5 points.

Central Florida Connection

No matter which team wins, Central Florida has a claim to fame in the game. Highland Mint in Melbourne has been producing the official NFL Super Bowl flip-coin for 31 years. 10,000 coins are produced for each game, with 100 going to the NFL and the others up for sale. Each coin is numbered and 001 will be used to decide who kicks off and who receives. If the game goes into overtime, coin triple zero is used.

Just Here for the Entertainment

If you're more a fan of the commercials and halftime show than the actual game, there has been a lot of build up for this year's show. Usher, the 44-year-old singer/songwriter is set to headline the halftime show, presented by Apple Music. He ended his sold-out Las Vegas residency in December after 100 shows and will be back in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium for perhaps the biggest gig of his career.

In September, Usher called it "an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list" after he was announced as the halftime performer. He added,"I can't wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they've seen from me before." Usher is an eight-time Grammy winner who has released eight studio albums, including his chart-topping 2004 album "Confessions" that sold more than 15 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling R&B album of the 21st century by a male artist.

Where to Watch

Wondering where to stream the big game? CBS, Paramount+, YouTube, YouTube TV, and Fubo will all have the match up live.

Photo credit: NFL Media Guides