After three weeks of the 2023 NFL Playoffs, we’re down to the final two teams: the Chiefs and the Eagles. The Super Bowl LVII game is set, and it features two of the most prolific offenses the NFL has seen this year, with Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts set to face off in a battle of MVP candidates. Not only that, but the championship showdown will pit Chiefs coach Andy Reid against Philadelphia, the city in which he built his NFL career; and Pro Bowl brothers Travis and Jason Kelce face off for a shot at their respective second Lombardi Trophies.
Here’s everything you need to know upfront:
How to watch
Date: Sunday February 12
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
TV: Fox | Flux: fuboTV (try for free)
Odds: Eagles -2, O/U 49.5
How the suitors got here
The road to the Super Bowl is paved well before the start of the season. Here are deep dives on the last two teams, including their key acquisitions, season-defining wins and full schedule results from 2022:
Early odds and projection
Featured Game | Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Early odds have the Eagles as 2-point favourites, and SportsLine’s initial sim also has it as a draw: the Chiefs win just over 50% of the sims, but the Eagles actually average more than points per simulation (23.7 to 23.6). SportsLine’s Stephen Oh thinks Sunday’s results could tip the simulations in Philly’s favor after the Eagles topped the 49ers while the Chiefs got modest offensive production in their narrow win over the Bengals.
Key matches
- Chiefs TE Travis Kelce vs Eagles S CJ Gardner-Johnson: No one is more consistently open than Kelce, who is Mahomes’ top target in the biggest moments, and Philly will likely need multiple bodies to keep No. 87 a secret. The fiery Gardner-Johnson is the most logical candidate to overshadow the big man, having played both corner nickel and safety.
- Chiefs OT Orlando Brown Jr. vs. Eagles LB Haason Reddick: Protecting Mahomes will be paramount for Kansas City as the star QB recovers from a sprained ankle that at least left him limping against the Bengals. Brown was solid keeping his blindside, but Reddick was a one-man wrecker team as the Eagles’ standing rusher, knocking out Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson of the NFC Championship.
- Eagles WR DeVonta Smith vs Chiefs CB Jaylen Watson: The latter had a busy post-season, eliminating both Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow. But either he or Trent McDuffie will likely have their hands full against Smith, who has proven to be one of the game’s most underrated road runners and jumpball artists, working alongside AJ Brown for the Eagles.
Entertainment
This year’s Super Bowl halftime show will be hosted by Grammy-winning pop star Rihanna, while the pregame national anthem will be sung by country music star Chris Stapleton. , Grammy winner. Grammy-winning R&B artist Babyface will also perform “America the Beautiful” before kickoff, and Emmy-winning actress and singer Sheryl Lee Ralph will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Prediction
It was the best possible Super Bowl game of the four possibilities heading into the championship on Sunday, partly for the connections between the two teams — the Reid vs. Philly and Kelce vs. Kelce angles — but mostly because it pits an ultra- reliable. against another. Mahomes and Hurts have been the most consistent playmakers in their positions for much of 2022, and both QBs believe they have decent opportunities in this one. Mahomes will have a week to let his bumped ankle recover before returning to the field, and Hurts will face a much more vulnerable “D” pass as opposed to San Francisco. The Mahomes-Reid contingent has obviously been there, done that, so it’s hard to bet against them. But the Eagles have been so well balanced and won in a variety of ways that we’ll give them any early nods. Call it a Victory of the Eagles 28-27.
