Travis Kelce may not be gambling ahead of Super Bowl LVIII, but he had a hot tip for his brother, Jason Kelce, on where Lady Luck might be striking in Las Vegas.
The NFL star siblings dropped a special episode of their New Heights podcast on Thursday from Sin City, where Travis is gearing up for the big game. His Kansas City Chiefs will take on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Feb. 11. And while his focus remains singularly on the "biggest game of my life," he says, Jason is enjoying some of the fun and flash that the city has to offer after winning a cash prize at the NFL's Pro Bowl Games last week in Orlando, Florida.
"I'll be throwing that extra cash down on the roulette table," Jason says. "I think I'm just gonna walk by and put a bet on 8 and 7 in honor of my man, Travis Kelce, right here every time I walk past a roulette table."
Travis, No. 87 on the Chiefs, then suggests that Jason also consider betting on 15 in honor of the team's quarterback, Patrick Mahomes.
"13, your favorite number," he adds.
"13 is my favorite number," replies Jason.
Swifties famously know that 13 holds a special significance for Travis' girlfriend, Taylor Swift. The pop songstress has long celebrated milestones associated with the number, including announcing her new album -- The Tortured Poets Department -- after winning her 13th GRAMMY Award on Sunday.
But on a previous episode of New Heights back in December, the Kelces said that the number is also close to Jason's heart. While the athlete now wears No. 62 for the Philadelphia Eagles, he previously wore number 13 during his time as a youth athlete in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
"Not a bad number to throw down on," Travis says of 13.
Jason initially balks at the idea of betting on too many numbers, but weighs the options.
"So I should throw it down on four numbers?" he asks. "I mean, I guess it's increasing my chances of hitting."
"Name of the game, baby," Travis replies. "It's all about chances."
Active NFL players participating in the Super Bowl are not allowed to spend time in casinos or engage in gambling, but Jason's own season came to a heartbreaking end on Jan. 15 when the Eagles lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While he has yet to officially announce a decision for his involvement next season, there has been rampant speculation that he may be retiring.
Jason says that he has previously attended a number of Super Bowl games, but "this is pretty f**king cool."
With a laugh, he continues, "This is gonna be a blast for all the people enjoying this mother f**ker."
Travis lights up at the mention, gushing, "Honestly, it makes me want to win it that much more, man. It makes me want to be on the right side of the history books and be able to say I won the first Vegas Super Bowl ever 'cause I think the NFL is gonna enjoy having this place as the home of the Super Bowl."
Jason agrees, "Oh, I think this is the first of many. This place is built to host events like this."
This year marks Travis' third Super Bowl appearance in five years, as the Chiefs hope to score back-to-back championships. The team has won the Lombardi Trophy twice already in the last five years, including in last year's matchup against Jason and the Eagles.
"For me, it is not as much pressure as it's just exciting for the challenge at hand," Travis says of the game.
"I've been in a few of these big games and it's just, they're like no other game out there, man," he continues. "There's no other feeling than being on the field, making plays in the Super Bowl. There's just no better feeling, man, than to go out there and find a way to win with your guys."
Still, he hints that this year's high-profile event might be putting a dent in his wallet.
"I'm not really doing much different other than just counting how much money I’m spending on this damn Super Bowl for family and friends to come," he jokes.
The quip comes after Travis and Jason's mom, Donna Kelce, was asked on Today if fans can expect to find her in her usual spot on game day -- sitting next to Taylor in a suite.
"Well, you can understand that the boxes in Vegas are multimillion dollars," she responded. "So, I have a feeling I'm not in a box. I have a feeling I'm in the stands."
Meanwhile, Swift is busy performing for her Eras Tour in Tokyo, Japan. The pop star wraps up that leg of her tour on Feb. 10, and is expected to make a quick turnaround to attend her beau's game the next day.
Super Bowl LVIII – which is airing on CBS and streaming live on Paramount+ – is at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, and has the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the San Francisco 49ers. Keep checking ETonline for more from the big game, including photos, exclusive interviews and more.
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