One of the events of the sporting calendar is finally here! Super Bowl LVII will be played out this Sunday, the 12th of February from State Farm Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will square off in the big game from 6.30pm (ET).
Check out our preview and betting picks for the clash below.
NFL Super Bowl LVII Betting Picks
Philadelphia Eagles vs Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday February 12th, 6.30pm/State Farm Arena, Arizona
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have been arguably the team of the year so far, finishing the regular season with a 14-3 record before easily handling the Giants and 49ers comfortably enroute to the Super Bowl. A mid-late season injury to star quarterback Jalen Hurts couldn’t even stop their momentum, as they continued to win games throughout his stint on the sidelines. The MVP candidate looks back to 100% health now, helped by the fact he hasn’t had to do a lot in the two Eagles playoff wins so far.
Road to the Super Bowl:
dft. New York Giants (38-7)
dft. San Francisco 49ers (31-7)
Granted, the Eagles had some luck in their game against San Francisco, as both of the 49ers listed quarterbacks went down with injury early in the game. Regardless, their defence has been nothing short of extraordinary throughout the last few weeks of the regular season leading into their two playoff games.
Over their last four, they have allowed just 12.5 points per game, easily the best mark in the league over that span. Combine that with the fact that they boasted the 3rd ranked offence throughout the regular season at just over 28 points per game, and it’s no wonder that they start as favourites heading into the big game.
Injuries: Landon Dickerson (elbow)
Kansas City Chiefs
Topping the Eastern Conference standings, the Kansas City Chiefs finished the regular season with an identical 14-3 record to the Eagles, but arguably didn’t look quite as solid, particularly on defense, throughout the year.
Standout offensive play from star quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the catalyst for the dominant regular season, as the chiefs put up a league best 29.2 points per game. That form carried into the playoffs as they posted 27 points against the Chiefs before earning a hard fought 23-20 win over the Bengals in the conference championship game.
Road to the Super Bowl
dft. Jacksonville Jaguars 27-20
dft. Cincinnati Bengals 23-20
Their one issue throughout the season has been their ability to stop teams putting up big scores themselves. This is proven by the fact that they led the league in offensive output, but had the same time had a near league worst 6-11 record against the spread.
Injuries will also be a concerning factor leading into the big dance. Patrick Mahomes suffered an ankle injury in the playoff win over the Jags and is likely not 100% yet, while some of their key skill position players are also in a race against the clock to prove fitness.
Injuries: Patrick Mahomes (ankle), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle), Mecole Hardman (pelvis), Kadarius Toney (ankle), JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee), Justin Watson (illness), Willie Gay (shoulder), L’Jarius Sneed (concussion)
Betting Picks
Spread
A large contributor to the Chiefs poor record against the spread this season was the fact that they were consistently double-digit favourites at home with an under-performing defense. As underdogs, they are 2-1 this season. Their key players have been to the Super Bowl and no what it takes to win, having lifted the trophy a few years ago against the San Francisco 49ers. I love them to cover the spread here as well as win outright.
Total
This one screams over to me. I’ve picked the Chiefs to win the game but I don’t believe that the margin will be more than a touchdown here. The Chiefs have been involved in so many games with a scoreline that reads something like 30-27 this season, and I think this one has a similar feel to it. The last time the Eagles were in the Super Bowl, 74 total points were scored, while the Chiefs two trip there in the past three years have resulted in an average total of 45.5 points.
