This Sunday, February 9, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, the Kansas City Chiefs are hunting NFL history at the Super Bowl. A win over the Philadelphia Eagles would make them the first team to grab three straight titles. The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Chiefs and Eagles Preview
The Eagles have been on a tear since Week 5. They’ve put together a 15-1 record with dominant wins averaging 13.8 points. Their defense has been stealing the ball left and right, building up a plus-27 turnover margin. In the run game, Saquon Barkley has bulldozed his way to 2,000 yards – just the second player to reach that milestone and make it to the Super Bowl.
If the Chiefs win, Patrick Mahomes would join rare company. He’d become part of an exclusive group of quarterbacks – Tom Brady, Joe Montana, and Terry Bradshaw – who’ve earned four championships. It’s another shot at beating Philadelphia, whom they topped in Super Bowl LVII.
On defense, two giants clash as Kansas City‘s Chris Jones goes head-to-head with Philadelphia’s rising star Jalen Carter. Behind the scenes, seasoned coordinators Steve Spagnuolo and Vic Fangio bring their strategic minds to battle.
Philadelphia’s offensive line has shown some weak spots. Though they throw less than any other NFL team, they’ve given up 45 sacks – a concerning 9.1% of their passing plays.
The Chiefs come in hot, riding a nine-game playoff winning streak. That’s the second-longest run in NFL playoff history. They’ll wear white jerseys – which might be lucky since teams in white have won 16 of the last 20 Super Bowls.
The Eagles need just 27 points to break the NFL record for playoff scoring. But their path hasn’t been smooth. They’ve certainly lost some games this season, including two games due to dropped passes.
So, who will win? Some oddsmakers have Kansas City winning, but it’s only by 1.5 points. Looking at their history, Kansas City holds a slim 6-5 lead in their 11 matchups.
Experts Weigh In
The ESPN staff is weighing in on the matchup. Even if the analysts don’t agree on who’s going to win this game, they seem to agree that it’ll be tight. These two teams are pretty evenly matched.
“If the Chiefs want their three-peat, they’re going to have to beat the best team they’ve played in a Super Bowl in the Patrick Mahomes era,” they state in a preview article. “The Eagles have lost three games all season, two of them after their receivers dropped passes that would have clinched victories. Since their Week 5 bye, they have gone 15-1, posted a plus-27 turnover margin and won their games by an average of 13.8 points.”
They add that, “This Eagles team is better than the one the Chiefs beat two years ago in Super Bowl LVII and better than either of the 49ers teams Kansas City topped in Super Bowls LIV and LVIII. Philadelphia is even scarier than the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers, who managed to give Mahomes his only championship game defeat in Super Bowl LV.”
My prediction is Chiefs 27, Eagles 24. Close and certainly not a blowout.