Super Bowl Odds 2023: Bold Predictions for Chiefs vs. Eagles
Bold predictions haven't had a great run during the NFL playoffs.
Sure, there probably weren't many bingo cards that had the San Francisco 49ers suffering a pair of injuries at the quarterback position in the same game, but for the most part, this postseason has gone according to plan.
Super Bowl LVII pits the AFC's top seed, the Kansas City Chiefs, against the NFC's, the Philadelphia Eagles. The conference championships also featured a No. 2 seed (San Francisco) and a No. 3 (Cincinnati Bengals). Again, not the twists and turns the football gods sometimes send our way.
Maybe that merely means the unexpected is overdue, though. To that end, we'll ramp up our boldness with a pair of Super Bowl predictions after laying out the game's schedule information and latest odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Super Bowl Schedule, Latest Line
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What: Super Bowl LVII
Who: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles
When: Sunday, Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
TV: Fox
Spread: Philadelphia Eagles (-2)
Over/Under: 49.5
Money Line: Philadelphia Eagles (-130; bet $130 to win $100); Kansas City Chiefs (+110; bet $100 to win $110)
Prediction: Isiah Pacheco Posts Career High
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Philadelphia's defense is good at almost everything and elite in several areas.
The Eagles aren't great against the run, though. In the regular season, they tied for 16th in rushing yards allowed per game (121.6) and 24th in rushing yards per carry (4.6).
The Chiefs need that to matter—for myriad reasons. Establishing the ground game would take heat off of Patrick Mahomes (who suffered a high ankle sprain in the divisional round), give this defense a playmaker to worry about who isn't named Travis Kelce and potentially pump the brakes on the Eagles' ferocious pass rush. Not to mention it can also help control the clock and keep Philly's attack off the field.
Isiah Pacheco is the running back who can make it matter.
The longer this season has gone on, the more Kansas City has leaned on its rookie rusher. His blink-and-you-missed-him burst adds a level of electricity this offense was lacking after Tyreek Hill was traded away. In the playoffs, Pacheco is up to 5.5 yards per carry and 10.8 yards per catch.
The 23-year-old will enter the Super Bowl with his career high sitting at 107 rushing yards. The Chiefs should do everything they can to push him past that number.
Prediction: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith Combine for 15-Plus Receptions
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Plenty of teams have used the ground game and defense to take home the NFL title. The Eagles certainly have the personnel to follow that blueprint.
With Patrick Mahomes on the other side, though, it's possible Philly finds itself in a shootout. Of course, it's also possible the Eagles simply opt for aerial aggression to take advantage of both Jalen Hurts' arm talent and the fact that they have the best receiving tandem in the business.
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are individually special, but together, they're a cheat code. Smith finished top-20 in catches (95, 11th), yards (1,196, ninth) and touchdowns (seven, tied for 15th), and he was the least productive of the pair.
Brown, who was acquired in an offseason trade with Tennessee, had 88 receptions for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns.
As loaded as Philly's roster is, this one-two punch at receiver might be its greatest strength.
Look for the Eagles to exploit that early and often. They've been relatively quiet in the playoffs—to be fair, though, Philly hasn't needed to pass much—but the Eagles could crank up their volume here against a beatable Kansas City pass defense.
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