TOM BRADY V.S. PATRICK MAHOMES: A QB BATTLE FOR THE AGES

SportsBeat!

Written by Aaron Cantin

The Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will battle in Super Bowl LV on Sunday coming off equally dominating performances in the Conference Championships. The biggest storyline heading into Sunday is the battle of the Quarterbacks. One QB is paving the path to be considered the greatest of all time and looking for back-to-back Super Bowls. The other IS the greatest of all time and is looking to add a seventh Super Bowl Ring to his legacy. Brady vs Mahomes. The Kid vs the Legend. Call it what you want. This Sunday has the potential to be the best Quarterback matchup on the biggest stage in a long time. As a tribute to Mahomes and Brady, here are my favorite prop bets heading into SB LV.

Quarterback Tom Brady and Quarterback Patrick Mahomes shake hands after the game; Source: CBS Sports | Photo from Paul Rutherford

Most Passing Yards: Mahomes (-155) vs. Brady (+120)

One of Brady and the Bucs keys to winning on Sunday comes down to ball possession a.k.a. keeping Patrick Mahomes off the field. That actually works against Tom Brady. Ball possession usually means lots of handoffs and short completions that keep the clock moving. Mahomes will have a challenge avoiding Tampa’s pass rush but he’s proven he cannot be stopped, only contained. I expect Mahomes to win the battle of the yardage.

Pick: Mahomes (-155)

Highest Completion Percentage: Mahomes (-150) vs. Brady (+120)

Less is more when it comes to completion percentage. Typically the QB who throws the ball the least has a better completion percentage. If both Mahomes and Brady are at their best this one is tough. I want to lean towards Mahomes considering his chemistry with tight-end Travis Kelce but Tom Brady has his go-to tight end, Rob Gronkowski, to counter. Brady has been up against two of the top three pass defences this postseason (Washington and New Orleans) and although his completion percentage is not great, I expect it to improve against the Chiefs. Add to the fact Brady has done it again and again when it matters most and it's an easy sell to take the six-time champ.

Pick: Brady (+120)

First Touchdown Pass: Mahomes (-120) vs. Brady (-105)

This one may come down to who wins the coin toss. Both QB’s will find the end zone at some point on Sunday. Kansas City had 40 TD passes compared to 16 rushing TD’s in the regular season. In the postseason it has been much more balanced, with three of the Chiefs' seven TD’s coming on the ground. If the Chiefs get near the red-zone Mahomes may call his own number and scramble to the endzone. That’s not an option for Tom Brady. If Brady and the Bucs are in the red zone there is a much greater possibility of the ball being thrown. For this reason alone, I'm taking Tom.

Pick: Brady (-105)

Sacked First: Mahomes (-125) vs. Brady (EVEN)

Tampa likes to blitz. Third most in the NFL. That said, Patrick Mahomes is a slippery man. The Chiefs offensive line has been one of the best all-season stopping the pass rush. Despite Brady’s mobility or the lack thereof, he was only sacked 21 times this season, the third-lowest in the NFL. Brady knows when to throw the ball away. A very underrated attribute. Perhaps we should focus our attention on the defensive side for this one. In that case, the Bucs will create much more problems for Mahomes than Brady will have to face.

Pick: Mahomes (-125)

Touchdown Scorer: Mahomes (+275) vs. Brady (+350)

This one is not head-to-head but has value on both ends. Given the mobility difference between the two QB’s, you may be shocked to see Brady right behind Mahomes. Brady is not going to break out and give you a fifty-yard rush, or a twenty yard rush for that matter, but he can get the ball in the endzone regularly in a goal-line situation. Brady loves the QB sneak and would love to be in a position to use it again on Sunday. Mahomes on the other hand can break out for a fifty-yard rush at any time. Every time Mahomes has the ball in his hands the possibility of him running remains. Mahomes found the end zone in last year's Super Bowl against the 49ers and I expect him to keep that streak going.

Pick Mahomes (+275)