I wrote almost the same introduction for last year’s Super Bowl that I plan to write today. I believe this is because we are watching a trend forming.
The National Football League wants us to spend two weeks building hype for the big game. It doesn’t happen that way. Indeed, we are excited to watch the two representatives from each conference — and the two top seeds, at that — square off on the biggest stage but, for a number of reasons — instant access via social media, the general attention paid to football, the lackluster Pro Bowl in between, etc. — the time before the game isn’t helping anyone suddenly take notice.
Really, what has happened in recent years is that the period of time immediately following the Conference Championship games is when we have our most intense conversations about the Super Bowl. It may be too reactionary in that it takes place almost instantaneously, but that is the nature of the sports world right now.
The good news is that the game is on its way. It’s getting here and, like all other prior iterations, it has its own share of storylines that help add to the drama. Still, at the root of the event is the game, itself, and that’s the focus of this column.
Below are predictions for each game against the spread. Spreads have been taken from various websites and are subject to change. The spread in parenthesis denotes the selected team. Spread is listed as advertised number and odds at either DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, or SugarHouse Sportsbook. All efforts were made to provide picks at -110 or better, with some stretching to a -125 if no reasonable advertised spread was found.
*Confidence Picks – 2022 Season: 54-54-5 (Last Week: —)
(2021 Season: 55-50) (2020 Season: 53-42-3) (2019 Season: 57-43-3) (2018 Season: 63-48-4) (2017 Season: 53-48-4) (2016 Season: 53-67-3) (2015 Season: 69-45-2) (2014 Season: 61-46-2) (8-Year Total: 464-389-21)
All Picks Against Spread – 2022 Season: 142-132-9 (Last Week: 1-1)
(2021 Season: 158-126-2) (2020 Season: 132-128-7) (2019 Season: 142-118-7) (2018 Season: 137-118-12) (2017 Season: 137-119-11) (2016 Season: 123-136-8) (2015 Season: 143-117-7) (2014 Season: 149-114-4) (8-Year Total: 1121-976-58)
Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles
In the introduction of this article, I mentioned how the Super Bowl lacked the desired buildup over the two-week span the league wanted, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to the franchises involved in the game. Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles have Super Bowl wins in the last six years, and yet each fanbase is arguably putting a higher emphasis on this year’s game than the last time they won.
Maybe that’s a matter of perception, and maybe it’s nothing more than recency bias. Whatever the reason, there is an added layer of importance for each team that is being highlighted as we approach the game.
For the Chiefs, the answer is obvious. Patrick Mahomes is a quarterback that is already being discussed among the greats in history. He deserves it. He is the best at his position and has already achieved unparalleled accolades. If he were to win again, it changes the narrative of his career arc in the direction that many people — myself included — expect it to go for the next decade.
For the Eagles, the ‘big picture’ importance is a little more subtle. Philadelphia won its Super Bowl largely due to an extraordinary performance by quarterback Nick Foles — who had filled in for Carson Wentz following a season-ending injury to a potential MVP-winning campaign. At the time, the Eagles were underdogs repeatedly and clearly used that as inspiration to pull off one of the most impressive ‘upsets’ in recent history. Despite the heroics of Foles, it was not expected that he would remain the longterm answer for the team at the quarterback position.
Entering this season, that same question was asked about Jalen Hurts. There were serious discussions in determining if he had a future with the team at all. Fast-forwarding to today, the Eagles are entering the Super Bowl as favorites, and there are already talks about how Hurts could continue winning with this team for years.
Essentially, the takeaway from Super Bowl LVII, whether it is deserved or not, is that