Before we place any Super Bowl player props or consider Super Bowl 57 MVP odds, we’re going to consider some of the best Super Bowl performances out of the backfield.
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Best Super Bowl 57 Odds, Lines, Totals, Player Props, Bets
While Super Bowl 57 lines may – emphasis on “may” – settle more quickly and solidly than those throughout the season, it’s always worth checking around for the best Super Bowl odds. That applies to game lines and Super Bowl prop numbers.
Super Bowl 57 MVP Outlook: Running Backs
The saying goes “never say never”. We’re inching as close to that line as we possibly can when it comes to a running back claiming Super Bowl 57 MVP honors.
First and foremost, history is against the position. The last runner to win Super Bowl MVP was Terrell Davis for the Denver Broncos in 1998. Since then, the overall appreciation for the position has faded substantially.
Davis handled 30 carries and added two receptions en route to 165 total yards and three touchdowns. No one on the Eagles nor the Chiefs is going to see that degree of volume. Hell, it’s possible neither backfield sees that much volume.
The Eagles’ Miles Sanders owned a 31.2% touch share in the Eagles offense. For context, that figure for first-team All-Pro Josh Jacobs was 49.9%. The comparison is made simply to illustrate the relative lack of volume Sanders receives within his offense. He handled 17 and 12 touches in two playoff games.
Meanwhile, Isaiah Pacheco’s full-season touch-share comes out to 21.5%, which leads the team ahead of Jerick McKinnon (15%). While that figure is misleading – Pacheco assumed the lead role in Week 10 – his touch-high on the season is 23.
Finally, if Damien Williams (133 total yards, two TDs in 2020) and James White (139 total yards, three TDs in 2017) got robbed, what does one need to do from the running back position to collect Super Bowl MVP hardware?
If a running back claims the title of Super Bowl’s most valuable player, tip your cap. Otherwise, feel free to ignore their odds in this category.
Super Bowl 57 Running Back Betting Considerations
Eagles Running Back Prop Bet Factors
As we mentioned above, Sanders leads the team in rushes, but he shares rushing duties with three others: Jalen Hurts, Boston Scott, and Kenneth Gainwell.
Throughout the regular season, Sanders’ touch share outpaced Gainwell’s (8.5%) and Scott’s (6.5%). But Hurts’ 165 carries accounted for 18.4% of the team’s total offensive touches. Not only is Hurts a good bet to utilize his legs on Sunday, but the Eagles entrusted Gainwell with larger shares of the backfield pie in their two – albeit blowout – playoff victories.
It’s worth establishing where your threshold is for Miles Sanders Under bets and Kenneth Gainwell Over wagers.
Chiefs Running Back Prop Bet Factors
Pacheco and McKinnon lead the backfield for Kansas City, but their primary competition isn’t one another. It’s the superior passing attack led by Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs ran the ball on 38.1% of their plays, an understandably modest figure.
Will the Eagles’ stellar pass defense compel the Chiefs to attack on the ground? It makes sense on paper, but there’s reason to have more faith in the Eagles’ ability to manage the trenches than the stats may suggest.
They hit rock bottom as a run defense in Week 12 against the Green Bay Packers, surrendering 363 rushing yards. They’ve been victimized for large totals since, but there are caveats. The New York Giants could only find success running the ball against them, so that’s what they had to lean on. Similarly, once the 49ers lost quarterback Brock Purdy in the NFC Championship Game, they had little choice but to ground-and-pound.
It’s unlikely the Chiefs’ hand is forced in a similar manner. And even though the Eagles’ rush defense rates well behind its ability to limit passing production, bettors should not expect Andy Reid and the Chiefs coaching staff to take the ball out of Mahomes’ hands.
When the Chiefs do run the ball, Pacheco is the likeliest to find success. However, there’s no telling how a rookie will respond to the bright lights of Super Bowl Sunday. He’ll probably be fine, but any miscue could put McKinnon in line for more snaps and touches.
