Super Bowl 2018: Eagles vs. Patriots Game Odds, Final Score Predictions

The Tom Brady-led New England Patriots come into Super Bowl LII as the favorites, and while there's no reason to question that title based off the team's history, they aren't guaranteed to leave U.S. Bank Stadium with their sixth Super Bowl title.

The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the best teams the Patriots have faced in the eight Super Bowl appearances of the Brady-Bill Belichick era, and there's a good chance the five-time champions will be involved in yet another one-possession game.

With the game expected to be tight, the smallest details will make the difference in Minneapolis on Sunday night, which means certain position groups that have flown under the radar for parts of the season have to come to the forefront to make difference-making plays.

Date: Sunday, February 4

Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

TV: NBC

Odds: New England (-4.5); Over/Under: 48

Eagles Must Make Brady Uncomfortable in the Pocket

The Eagles must stop Brady from getting into a rhythm on Sunday night.

If that happens, the five-time Super Bowl champion could tear apart the Eagles secondary with ease and cruise to a sixth ring.

One of the keys for the Philadelphia defense will be to put pressure on the 40-year-old signal caller and make him move around in the pocket to complete passes.

As simple as it sounds, getting to Brady and picking up sacks could alter the complexion of the game, as Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller noted to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post.

In his last two playoff defeats, both of which came at the hands of the Broncos, Brady was sacked on six occasions, with four coming in the 2015 AFC Championship.

Before suffering one of the biggest collapses in the history of sports, the Atlanta Falcons took Brady to the ground five times in Super Bowl LI.

Brady enters Super Bowl LII with a 1-3 postseason record in games he's been sacked more than four times, with last year's championship tilt being the lone victory.

The Eagles have the assets on the defensive line, starting with defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, to record a high number of sacks, and their rotation policy that features as many as eight defensive lineman could benefit them as they stay fresh for the second half.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Even if the pressure doesn't result in a sack, it could force a turnover in the form of either a forced fumble or interception, both of which the Eagles earned in their NFC Championship victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

If the Eagles are able to find the same amount of success rushing Brady than they did against Case Keenum and Matt Ryan, they could be celebrating their first Super Bowl title on Sunday night.

Patriots Defensive Backs Must Contain Eagles Passing Game

You're not supposed to receive any praise when you're a part of the third-worst passing defense in the NFL, but the Patriots defensive backs could hold the keys to victory.

We understand it's easy to snort in derision at the statement since this is the same unit that conceded 293 passing yards to Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles in the AFC Championship, but we're sticking to our opinion here.

Even though Bortles completed 23 of his 36 passes, his longest throw of the game was 20 yards. The Patriots need to hold Eagles quarterback Nick Foles to the same type of stats on Sunday.

The Patriots can execute that game plan by forcing Foles to throw passes of 10 yards or less to his wide range of targets.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

New England will be able to deal with giving up a few completions in a row to the Eagles backup quarterback, but what they must prevent is the big play, which could come from a cast of characters.

The Patriots will have their hands full with wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith as well as tight end Zach Ertz, but if they organize their coverage perfectly, it could halt the downfield progression of the trio after they haul in a pass from Foles.

If the New England defensive backs are able to limit the plays of 20 yards or more, they could force the Eagles into third-and-long situations, or into fourth downs in which they have to settle for field goals instead of driving deeper down the field.

Conversely, if the Eagles are able to pick apart the Patriots secondary and exploit their coverage weaknesses on a consistent basis, the Patriots will have to rely on Brady to bring them back in a shootout.

Philadelphia's Offensive Line Could Be Biggest X-factor

Another unit that hasn't received a ton of time in the spotlight this season is the Eagles offensive line.

Despite losing left tackle Jason Peters for the season, the Eagles have been able to protect their quarterbacks well as each member of the five-man unit improves with each game. 

Left tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai was the star of the NFC Championship as he silenced Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen. The powerful defensive lineman came into the contest with 13 sacks, but he was only able to make two tackles against the Eagles.

In addition to Vaitai, guards Brandon Brooks and Stefan Wisniewski have shined alongside the pair of notable names on the offensive line, center Jason Kelce and right tackle Lane Johnson.

Al Pereira/Getty Images

The Eagles offensive line excels the most in run blocking, and they aren't afraid to hustle down the field to make blocks in the second level of defense.

While Vaitai and Johnson attempt to hold down the Patriots pass rushers, Kelce will be all over the field trying to open up gaps thanks to his agility.

If the Eagles want to flex their muscles on the ground with running back Jay Ajayi early on, look for Kelce to roll out to either side of the field to help the former Miami Dolphin rack up a few carries over 10 yards.

The key for the Patriots is to keep Kelce and the rest of the line occupied and make sure they aren't able to release on the snap to fill in their blocking assignments.

New England could do this in a variety of ways, including adding more blitzes to the game plan, but regardless of what they do, they can't let the Eagles offensive linemen get down the field.

Prediction: Patriots 23, Eagles 17

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.

Odds obtained from OddsShark.com.