Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles

For the first time since 2017, the Super Bowl features the top team in each conference as the Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles in a matchup of 16-3 squads. Kansas City has won seven straight games and nine of 10 dating back to the regular season, but Philly has won 16 of 17 games this year with quarterback Jalen Hurts in the lineup. Kansas City has won and covered each of the last three meetings, including a 42-30 victory over the Eagles last season in Philadelphia. The Eagles opened as 1-point favorites for Super Bowl 57 in Arizona.

Latest Betting Notes: Chiefs

Most teams riding a seven-game winning streak don’t want to have extended time off, but the Chiefs are grateful for the two-week break leading up to the Super Bowl. Injuries are KC’s biggest concern going into the big game, and not just the sprained ankle that Patrick Mahomes played through to lead the Chiefs to a 23-20 win over Cincinnati in the AFC championship game.

Kansas City finished that contest without three of its top receivers in Kadarius Toney, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman, while superstar tight end Travis Kelce was bothered by back spasms that nearly forced him to miss the game. The Chiefs are also decimated in the secondary, where they had to use three rookie corners and a first-year safety against the Bengals.

Not only will the extra time off help the Chiefs heal up, but head coach Andy Reid is renowned for how well his teams play following a bye week. KC is also historically dangerous in the underdog role, going a sizzling 12-4-1 ATS in its last 17 games when catching points.

Latest Betting Notes: Eagles

Philadelphia has spent the past few weeks proving that its 14-3 SU regular-season record was no fluke, routing the Giants and 49ers by a combined score of 69-14 in its first two playoff games. Linebacker Haason Reddick led the way in last week’s smothering defensive effort against San Francisco, forcing a fumble, recovering another and contributing two sacks as Philly went UNDER the total for the fourth straight time.

Despite Philadelphia’s dominance in this postseason, quarterback Jalen Hurts has yet to put up big numbers since injuring his shoulder in mid-December against Chicago. Hurts threw for just 121 yards against the 49ers, a week after collecting just 154 passing yards vs the Giants.

The Keys to Victory: Chiefs

If Mahomes’ ankle is healthy by kickoff, his mobility in the pocket will be huge against a Philadelphia pass rush that led the NFL during the regular season with 70 sacks — 15 more than any other team. KC also needs to run the ball better than it did against Cincinnati, when it mustered just 42 yards on 20 rushing attempts.

Defensively, the Chiefs’ eighth-ranked run defense matches up well against Philly’s fifth-ranked rushing attack. Expect the Chiefs to force Hurts to beat them through the air, something that the Eagles’ MVP candidate quarterback hasn’t shown an ability to do recently.

The Keys to Victory: Eagles

If Philadelphia’s 16-3 SU record this year isn’t impressive enough, the Eagles are 16-1 this season with Hurts in the lineup. The QB hasn’t had to put up big numbers in the playoffs with his team holding huge leads, so don’t be surprised if Hurts has a much more productive game through the air against the high-scoring Chiefs — especially if KC is still dealing with injuries in the secondary.

Philadelphia’s ability to run the ball effectively has helped the Eagles average nearly 10 more minutes of ball possession than their opponents in their last three games, a strategy Philly should look to use again in the Super Bowl to limit Mahomes’ opportunities to touch the ball.