FanDuel NFL Best Bets: TSN staff picks for Super Bowl LIX

Super Bowl LIX is finally here. 

After two weeks of crunching the numbers and watching film, members from our betting team have settled on their favourite plays for the final game of this NFL season. 

All season our team has given you our best bets for the week and combined them with the four most popular bets on FanDuel, so why stop now? 

This week, according to the traders at FanDuel those four props are the following:

Most Popular Side: Eagles ML -102

Most Popular Total: Over 48.5

Most Popular Prop: Patrick Mahomes over 1.5 TD Passes

Most Popular Anytime TD: Saquon Barkley -185

Domenic Padula: Samaje Perine over 6.5 receiving yards

I recommended this play in my Morning Coffee column earlier in the week and after some debate, I'll lock it in as my best bet for Super Bowl 59. Perine helped the Chiefs clinch the AFC Championship with a 17-yard catch-and-run. The veteran running back has gone over this mark in eight of his previous nine games and 13 of his previous 14 overall. The Eagles defence will provide the toughest test the Chiefs have faced this postseason. Their blitz rate and ability to generate pressure up front will make Perine an important piece as the team's best pass blocking running back and best pass catching running back as an outlet out of the backfield. He might only need one reception to go over this mark. Give me Perine over 6.5 receiving yards as my FanDuel Best Bet for Super Bowl 59.

Connor Ford: Jalen Hurts Anytime TD + Patrick Mahomes Over 1.5 Passing TDs (+189 SGP)

Nothing is ever a lock when it comes to betting. However, Jalen Hurts finding the end zone with his legs sure seems to happen quite frequently. The Eagles quarterback has scored in 12 of 18 games this season with plenty of help from the “Tush Push”. He also has nine rushing touchdowns in eight career playoff games, including a three-touchdown performance in Super Bowl LVII against the Chiefs.

Kansas City has had a strong run defence all year, but not particularly against quarterbacks. They’ve allowed the third-most rushing yards to the QB position this season. I expect Hurts to run plenty in this game, giving him ample opportunity to score a rushing touchdown.

 As for Mahomes, there’s not too much to say. He continues to play his best football when the stakes are the highest. Mahomes has thrown for 2+ passing touchdowns in three of his four Super Bowl appearances and in the one game that he missed that mark, he had a severely hampered offensive line against the Bucs.

Yes, the Eagles defence is no walk in the park. However, they did allow 11 passing touchdowns from Weeks 13-18, which was tied for the third-most during that span. If there’s a weakness in Philly’s secondary, Mahomes and Andy Reid will find it and exploit it. 

Drew Morrison: Jalen Hurts Over 36.5 Rushing Yards

With so much attention being paid to the birthday boy for the big game, perhaps his quarterback is flying a little under the radar.  Saquon Barkley turns 28 on Super Bowl Sunday and you can wager on whether he will he be eating a slice of celebratory cake on the field.  Nobody expects him to run for under 100 yards and the Chiefs top priority on defence will be to stop him.  Open field opportunities await the Eagles quarterback.

Jalen Hurts is coming off his lowest rushing yards total of the season in the NFC championship game against the Commanders.  He was dealing with a knee injury suffered in the divisional round against the Rams but despite saying he would wear a brace, Hurts didn’t end up needing it.  He didn’t need to run very much either.  Barkley carried the load, and the Eagles won in a blowout. Prior to the NFC championship, Hurts had run for at least 37 yards in nine of his previous 11 games. 

The Chiefs love to blitz, especially against an imposing offensive line.  Philly prides itself on protection but has proven to be susceptible to overwhelming pressure.  Who isn’t?  Hurts will have to make quick decisions and I believe his first instinct is to take off, as long as he’s healthy.  Judging by what I saw tow weeks ago, and with two extra weeks of treatment, the Eagles pivot will be willing and able, even anxious to run.

Luke Bellus: Under 18.5 million unique viewers 

After correctly predicting over 17.5 million unique viewers for the Super Bowl last year, I am back with another viewership prop for this year’s game. 

Last year’s Super Bowl set a record with 19 million unique Canadian viewers, or nearly 50 per cent of Canada’s population watching some or all of the game. 

This year I’m betting on some of those people not tuning in. 

Maybe it’s the Luka Doncic trade, maybe it’s the fact we saw this matchup two years ago, maybe it’s the fact Kansas City has been in the game for three straight years, but this game feels like it’s lacking some juice. 

Here are the peak of unique viewers in Canada over the last six Super Bowls:   

19.0 

16.9 

18.7

17.6 

16.9 

17.3 

Just twice have we seen the total go over this number. 

Add on the fact the halftime show doesn’t have exactly the same mainstream appeal with rapper Kendrick Lamar headlining, and the part that some Canadiens might boycott the game due to Drake’s biggest rival taking center stage and I see this number falling under the total. 

I’ll be watching, and you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be locked in with bets from the coin flip (heads), to the halftime show (Doechii +210, Tyler the Creator +310 to appear), to the speeches at the end of the night (MVP to thank God/Religious Figure -265). 

And fine, if you really want a single from me on the game, I love both teams to convert a fourth down at -124. 

But for my best bet, I’m fading the entire country of Canada and taking Under 18.5 million unique viewers. Please don’t let me down.