Super Bowl 2023 expert picks, odds: Chiefs vs. Eagles early predictions

With a Super Bowl LVII matchup set to take place between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s no surprise that the No. 1 seeds in the AFC and NFC are involved. It will be the first matchup between No. 1 seeds since the Eagles defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl LII in 2017. The Eagles are less popular, over/under he opened at 49.5.

Kickoff is set for Sunday, February 12 at 6:30 PM ET at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The match will be televised nationally on FOX. Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen will air the first Super Bowl.

There’s no shortage of stories about Andy Reid taking on his former team and the Kelce brothers (Travis and Jason) going head-to-head. Yet, as is often the case in the NFL, in the end it all revolves around his two quarterbacks. Specifically, the health of Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes.

Neither player has been 100% healthy in recent weeks, with Hearts dealing with a shoulder injury and Mahomes playing through a sprained ankle. Mahomes’ mobility appeared to be limited, but he still threw for over 300 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

The Hearts, on the other hand, haven’t looked that strong in recent weeks, throwing no more than 160 yards in either of the Eagles’ first two playoff games.

It also helped that he didn’t have to throw the football. The Eagles advanced through the NFC playoffs by beating the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers by a combined score of 69-14. That run was impressive, but it was also probably one of his easiest playoff passes for the team in recent memory. After beating a mediocre Giants team in the division round, we got a San Francisco team that ran out of quarterbacks in the NFC Championship Game.

It’s going to be even tougher against Mahomes and the Chiefs.

One thing to watch is how the Eagles can put pressure on Mahomes. His ability to extend plays under pressure is a big part of what makes the Chiefs’ offense so dangerous.

Mahomes is good against any defense, but especially deadly against Blitz. But the Eagles are one of the best teams in the league that can create pressure without a blitz. They produced the league’s second-highest pressure rate without blitzing during the regular season.

The game over/under is set to 49.5. It would be the first time since Super Bowl LII, when the Eagles beat the New England Patriots, 41-33, that he overhit.

Another subplot of note: penalties. Karl Sheffers has officiating duties, and his crew consistently throws the most penalties in his NFL, throwing his 200+ flags for the seventh year in a row. He is the only referee the crew can claim as such. He hosted Super Bowl LV and was served 15 penalties (including his 11 for the Chiefs) when Kansas City lost to Tampa Bay. Eight penalties were called in the first half, setting a Super Bowl record for most yards.

What are the Super Bowl odds?

Odds are updated live and are from BetMGM.

The Eagles vs. Chiefs Story

Eagles vs. Chiefs Expert Picks

Why I Chose Chiefs

Jay Morrison: The Chiefs have a better and more experienced head coach. The Chiefs have better and more experienced quarterbacks. If the Eagles actually had the edge, that alone would outweigh any advantage they might have in a side-by-side summary of other positions. But it’s not. even number. Philadelphia’s pass rush is great and the Eagles are looking to put pressure on Patrick Mahomes. But Kansas City’s offensive his line is strong enough to keep the heat down, and Mahomes should start getting his mobility back by taking a week off play. And don’t discount the fact that the Eagles put up his two cakewalks, the Chiefs his two fistfights. The Chiefs are ready for this and are clearly better.

Austin Mock: The Eagles have built a better roster, but the Chiefs have a better quarterback. This is the determining factor in making the game a coin flip. Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL this season, and seasons before, and if the Chiefs’ defense can humanize Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ offense, they can’t against the Eagles. No reason. Again, I’m making this a coin toss. Make it as tight as possible. So give your best players in the most important positions. That’s Mahomes.

Josh Kendall: Patrick Mahomes threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns to lead a game-winning drive under a minute on Sunday for a leg and a half. He leads the NFL in offensive EPA (expected extra points) this season with 188.3, ​​according to TruMedia. That’s nearly double Hearts’ number this year (107.54). Over the past five seasons, Mahomes has produced his 899.87 EPA. Travis Kelce is the only one in the league at that point with more than 651 in his tight end. Mahomes is by far the best player in the NFL. He’s going to be the best player in the Super Bowl. And he’s going to be healthy. Philadelphia will score, but not as much as Putt.

Tashan Reed: The Eagles have the best roster in the league, but I’m with the best player, Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes can’t single-handedly beat an entire team (the Chiefs’ crushing loss to the Bucks in Super Bowl LV is a prime example), but he’s a crucial factor in matchups between fairly even teams. can be Kansas City isn’t as complete as Philadelphia. Still, they have one of the best offensive lines he has in the league, with a strong offensive weapon collection built around Travis Kelce and a defense that has gotten really strong in the playoffs. Another potential equalizer is the fact that the Chiefs have a coaching advantage with Andy Reid facing off against Nick Siriani. Mahomes has been healthy during his two-week gap between the conference’s championship round and the Super Bowl, displaying his excellence when it matters and taking another step towards building a dynasty. Leading the Chiefs to step forward.

Ben Standig: The Eagles case focuses on roster depth and talent. They have an impressive selection on both sides of the ball and he has only lost one game this season against Jalen Hurts (Washington in Week 10). Still, it’s hard to judge just how good they are given the light schedule of the second half of the season and the NFC playoffs. We don’t even have an experienced head coach (Andy Reed). Factoring in the Man-on-a-Mission atmosphere, the Chiefs will win 24-20 unless Mahomes’ injury heals.

WHY CHOOSE THE EAGLES

larry holder: It comes down to Philadelphia being a more balanced team than the Chiefs. Yes, Kansas City supplies superstars like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. Philadelphia’s ground attack was the team’s calling card all season, especially in the NFC Championship victory over the 49ers, who own one of the better defenses in the league. I feel like the Eagles could expose the Chiefs out there. Add in the dynamic nature of Jalen Hurts and you almost have to choose Venom. And then there’s his rush of strong passes in Philadelphia. The Eagles lead the league by a mile with 70 sacks, and a 38.2% pass pressure percentage ranked him second according to TruMedia. In the postseason, that pressure rate jumped to his 53.6%, led by Hurson Reddick’s 3.5 sacks and his 31.6% pressure rate.

Nick Cosmidor: The engineered running edge the Eagles have on Jalen Hurts makes a difference in this game.As athletic‘s Kalyn Kahler lays it out very nicely in her article on the evolution of quarterback sneaks. The Eagles can almost automatically win in short-yard situations that can be the difference in a tight game like this. The Chiefs’ defense has been strong lately, but the Eagles’ rushing offense, the best in the NFL by most advanced means, offers a whole different challenge: Throwing Kansas City off balance. In order to add enough wrinkles to its attack in the next two weeks.

(Photo of Chris Jones: David Uritt/Getty Images)