This Sunday, Feb. 2, will serve as America’s biggest night of the year. Millions of households across the country will throw parties with lots of food while grounding their focus on one game across millions of television sets, the Super Bowl. 

For the 11th time in history, America’s game will be held in the picturesque, tropical sunshine of Miami, Florida. From the defining moment of legendary “Broadway Joe Namath” leading the underdog New York Jets of the American Football League to an upset victory over the Baltimore Colts of the far-superior National Football League, to Peyton Manning and Drew Brees reaching the ultimate destiny of Super Bowl champs for the first time in their legendary careers, Miami has hosted its fair share of iconic moments.

Miami could write yet another chapter in Super Bowl history this Sunday, as the Kansas City Chiefs are just one point favorites over the San Francisco 49ers in what is the tightest spread in Super Bowl history according to CBS Sports. 

Both teams have been successful in one way or another with the spread this season as the 49ers have emerged as underdogs going 5-0 against the spread, while the Chiefs have posted a 10-4-1 record when favored by the spread.

Both teams earned themselves first-round byes as the 49ers wound up with a 13-3 regular-season record earning them the top seed in the National Football Conference (NFC) for the playoffs, and a first-round bye while the Chiefs finished 12-4 and found themselves as the second seed in the American Football Conference (AFC) for the playoffs also earning a first-round bye. The two teams embarked on two remarkably different paths to punch their tickets to Miami. 

The matchup most that will likely determine the game winner will be that of the NFL’s top-rated postseason quarterback and potential MVP in Chiefs quarterback Patrick Maholmes, versus his greatest challenge of the playoffs yet: one of the NFL’s most dangerous defenses.

The 49ers’ defense has annihilated opponents all season long, compiling nine sacks in just two playoff games against star quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Kurt Cousins and allowing just 281.8 yards per game in the regular season, the second least in the NFL. 

The 49ers’ defense is led by their perilous front defensive linemen of Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead on the edge, along with Sheldon Day and DeForest Buckner on the inside. The defense also includes veteran experience with a three-time pro-bowler and one of the games top corners in Richard Sherman, who previously has a Super Bowl ring with Seattle.

The 49ers’ defense, complemented by an explosive offense put together by third-year head coach Kyle Shannahan, has handled their playoff opponents in fairly dominant fashion. The defense kept the Vikings scoreless in the second half of the division round game. They also managed to keep the Packers scoreless in the first half of the NFC championship game, jumping out to a 27-0 lead, getting the Packers coach Matt Leafleur to refer to them as the “gold standard in the NFC,” according to Yahoo Sports.

While that 27-0 lead proved to be an insurmountable obstacle for the Packers to overcome in the second half, it will not prove to be one for the Chiefs, as they have won their two playoff games with never-before-seen uphill battle resilience. 

Down 24-0 in the divisional round game against the Houston Texans, a miraculous Mahomes threw for three touchdowns as the Chiefs put up 28 points in the 2nd quarter alone before their defense stepping up to support their offensive surge in the second half. This offensive anomaly would continue into the AFC championship game where the Chiefs once again saw themselves trailing 10-0 in the first quarter before the Chiefs offense exploded as the Chiefs defense then proved to be too much for the Titans. 

“I’ve been blessed to be in a great situation with a lot of great football players and coaches and coaches around me,” Mahomes said. “From day one, I’ve been expected to out there and be who I am.” 

Will the Kansas City Chiefs emerge as Super Bowl champion for the first time in 50 years, or will it be Super Bowl title number six for the 49ers? 

All these questions will be answered this Sunday at 4:30 p.m. MST as the NFL’s 100th season caps off at the legendary Hard Rock Stadium.