Football’s biggest game, the Super Bowl, is set to kickoff this Sun. Feb. 7, when the Carolina Panthers will face the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. Earlier I provided a list of some prop bets for the big game, along with what I thought the outcomes of some of those prop bets would be. One prop bet I didn’t predict in that article was which player I believe will be named the Super Bowl 50 MVP.
Before I provide my prediction for the Super Bowl 50 MVP, I should pick which team I believe will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy since the MVP always comes from the winning team. I believe the Panthers will defeat the Broncos by 10 points. There are many factors (including Carolina’s defense) that allow me to come to that conclusion, but the main reason is the Panthers offensive line. Carolina’s offensive line is seriously good and Denver’s defense won’t be able to get to Panthers quarterback Cam Newton as easily, or frequently, as they did New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in the AFC Championship game.
SUPER BOWL 50 MVP PREDICTION
Since I believe Ron Rivera’s team will win the organization’s first Super Bowl on Sunday, the MVP will most likely be a member of the Panthers. The most obvious choice is Newton, who had a great regular season, and will probably be named the NFL MVP for his efforts. History is on the side of the former Auburn quarterback as well, with nine out of the last 15 Super Bowl MVPs being quarterbacks, and only three of the last 15 Super Bowl MVPs being defensive players. It make sense that the Panthers signal caller is the odds on favorite going into Sunday’s game, but I’m predicting that Panthers tight end Greg Olsen will take home the Super Bowl MVP honors.
I thought about going with running back Jonathan Stewart, who carried the ball 242 times for 989 yards and had six touchdowns in 2015. But the health of Stewart’s ankle worries me, and the Broncos are incredibly difficult to run on, so I couldn’t pull the trigger. Gary Kubiak’s team was third best against the run in 2015, allowing only 83.6 yards per game. The Panthers have proven they can the ball with Newton, Mike Tolbert and Stewart (especially if his ankle is good to go). But it is really difficult to the ball effectively, even if Carolina has all season, against the Broncos defense.
In 2015 the Broncos defense allowed 79 receptions (tied for 14th most), 914 yards (10th most) and seven touchdowns (tied for 12th) by tight ends. This means that while Denver’s defense was great this season (best defensive unit), they weren’t great against tight ends, but wide receivers had far less success against the Broncos.
This season Olsen tallied 77 receptions for 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns. The talented and reliable tight end was Newton’s favorite target in 2015, with Olsen being targeted 123 times, 27 more than the second most thrown to receiver, wideout Ted Ginn Jr. In two playoff games so far this season, Olsen has 12 catches for 190 yards with one touchdown and he has secured nine first downs.
Yes, Denver’s stout defense is ranked number against the pass (allowed 200.0 yards per game this season), but the one position that seems to be able to give them a little trouble is the tight end. And Olsen is one of the best in the business. Newton had an amazing 2015 season and he’s followed it up by playing really well in the playoffs, but I’m going to roll with Olsen.
