Super Bowl Odds 2018: Opening Las Vegas Betting Lines for Eagles vs. Patriots

Of all the scenarios and team combinations that could have been for Super Bowl LII, the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles were the second-most likely, according to Bovada.

Going into the NFC Championship, it was easy to imagine the Minnesota Vikings taking care of business on the road and being in the Super Bowl in their home stadium.

Well, they got routed.

Both No. 1 seeds will meet in the Super Bowl. Tom Brady versus Nick Foles.

Just like everyone expected.

Below, we'll go over each phase of the game and examine each team.

Offense: Depth at Skill Positions

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While the Eagles may be quarterbacked by Foles, they still have quite the offensive repertoire up their sleeve.

At wide receiver, they have your prototypical No. 1 guy in Alshon Jeffery, but they also have a vertical threat in Torrey Smith and a slot guy in Nelson Agholor, who has come into his own during the 2017-18 season. Meanwhile, the Patriots have tight end Rob Gronkowski who serves as their No. 1, but also have complementary receivers in Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan.

Speaking of Gronk and tight ends, the Eagles also have one of the game's best in Zach Ertz.

The backfield for the Eagles, like the Patriots, is versatile, too. The Patriots don't have a guy who can handle 20-plus carries a game like the Eagles and Ajayi, but they make up for it in passing the ball short, and use it as an extension of the run game. Not only do they have Ajayi, but they have former Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount—that's a compelling storyline in and of itself.

As you can see, both teams are loaded offensively all over the place. Brady is miles better than Foles, so it will be intriguing to see what each guy can do against these defenses.

Defense: Eagles Have the Edge

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The Patriots defense was the laughing stock of the league over the first month of the season, but that quickly changed. After that rough period, the Patriots would only allow over 20 points twice all season.

They have solid cornerbacks in Stephon Gilmore and Malcolm Butler, but they've not always shown their best selves.

The Patriots allow a lot of yards, though—366 per game, fourth in the NFL.

Throughout the 2017-18 season, the Patriots didn't have a signature sack artist, with Trey Flowers totaling 6.5.

The Eagles are a force to be reckoned with, however. Between defensive linemen Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry and Timmy Jernigan, they should be able to clog the trenches and pressure Brady.

At cornerback, they have former Buffalo Bill Ronald Darby, who's been fantastic. The wild card here is rookie Sidney Jones. If he plays, he'll add another element of playmaking to their secondary.

The Patriots defense has had the luxury in most games of playing ahead, if they're able to get ahead in the Super Bowl, expect the status quo to occur.

In the end, the Patriots have some talented players, but the Eagles defense is rock-solid, especially up front.

Special Teams: Veteran Kicker vs. Rookie Kicker

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Just as it says, the Patriots possess a veteran at the kicker position in Stephen Gostkowski, and the Eagles have rookie Jake Elliott.

Gostkowski has a career 340 field goals made and Elliott has just 26.

Both guys will need to be on their A-game. Gostkowski posted a field-goal-made percentage north of 92 this season, but Elliott finished just shy of 84.

Playing indoors, elements won't be a factor for either guy. This game could come down to just a few points.

Picks

The Eagles have a tough defense, but Brady will find his way around them like he did the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship.

This could end up being a close game, but Foles won't be able to compete with Brady in a passing battle if it comes down to that.

Offensively, the Patriots have plenty of versatile options, and they should be able to produce points.

Brady gets his sixth.

Score: Patriots 24, Eagles 20

Statistics courtesy of NFL.com and Pro Football Reference.