America’s big game is here! Today, the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles face off in the Super Bowl, and this matchup is drawing more eyes than usual. The on-field and off-field juggernaut that the Kansas City Chiefs have become has made them the most divisive team in recent memory. As the Chiefs look to pull off the first “three-peat” in Super Bowl history, they’re sure to find support from the Kansas City faithful and an ever-growing legion of Swifities.
Meanwhile, the rest of America is surely pulling for the Eagles. Philadelphia made it this far behind an all-time great running back in Saquon Barkley and a stout supporting cast on both sides of the ball. All that being said, here are our best guesses for who will win Super Bowl LIX:
Joseph Rainbolt: Chiefs 24 – Eagles 20
My hate for the Chiefs runs deep, but betting against Mahomes has been a bad bet for the last three years. The Eagles are better across the board than the Chiefs, and Saquon Barkley has been a gamechanger this season, but I’m not sold on Jalen Hurts. I do not trust him to win a game throwing the football the way I know Mahomes can. The Chiefs have done an incredible job this season of keeping games close and finding a way to always come out on top, and I don’t think that changes today. I think Mahomes and the Chiefs pull off a late comeback to narrowly squeeze past the Eagles and put Mahomes squarely in GOAT conversations.
Freddy Branson: Chiefs 31 – Eagles 24
The Chiefs have officially become the most-hated franchise in the NFL, and I think it’s safe to say that everyone outside of Kansas City, including me, is rooting against the “three-peat.” With Mahomes at quarterback, the Chiefs are inevitable. The fan in me wants to dive into the analytics and statistics: The prowess of the Eagles’ offensive weapons led by this season’s OPOY Saquon Barkley, along with their formidable defense could be enough to convince myself of a decisive Eagles victory. On their day it should be too much for any team to compete with… but betting against the Chiefs is a mistake I won’t make again.
Julia Mendes Queiroz: Chiefs 34 – Eagles 31
At the risk of sounding redundant, betting against the Chiefs and Mahomes is just bad business in today’s world — but it seems like everyone is doing it. Across the country — no matter where you are or who you come from — most football fans are all hoping that this goes Jalen Hurts’ way. His season has been incredible – I particularly enjoyed the NFL Wildcard game against the Green Bay Packers – and regardless of the result, I expect him to play well, as he has been all season. Unfortunately, the Chiefs are clear favorite, due to the absolute force of nature that is Patrick Mahomes. Nevertheless, I do expect it to be somewhat of a tight contested, similar to last year’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.
