After three weeks of the 2023 NFL playoffs, we’re down to the final two teams: the Chiefs and the Eagles. The Super Bowl LVI matchup is set, and it will feature two of the most prolific offenses the NFL has seen this year, with Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Harts set to compete in a battle of MVP candidates. Not only that, but the championship game will face Philadelphia, the city where head coach Andy Reid built his NFL career. And Pro Bowl brothers Travis and Jason Kelce will square off against each other for a second chance at their respective Lombardi Trophies.
Here’s everything you need to know right off the bat:
How to look
day – Sunday, February 12
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
TV: fox | Stream fuboTV (try free)
Odds: Eagles -2, O/U 49.5
How the competitors got here
The road to the Super Bowl is paved long before the season begins. Here’s a deep dive into the final two teams, including their key acquisitions, season-defining wins and results for the entire 2022 schedule.
Early odds and predictions
Early odds have the Eagles as a 2-point favorite, and SportsLine’s first simulation also flips like a coin: the Chiefs are winning over 50% of simulations, but the Eagles are actually averaging more points per simulation (23.7 to 23.6). ). SportsLine’s Stephen Oh believes Sunday’s result could swing the odds in Philly’s favor after the Eagles were dominated by the 49ers, and the Chiefs got modest offensive production in their recent win over the Bengals.
Key matches
- Chiefs TE Travis Kelce vs. Eagles S CJ Gardner-Johnson: No one is more open than Kelsey, who will be Mahomes’ top target in the big moments, and Philly may need several components to keep No. 87 under wraps. The feisty Gardner-Johnson is the most logical candidate to shadow the big man, playing nickel corner and safety.
- Chiefs OT Orlando Brown Jr. 100% free. Eagles LB Hasson Reddick: Protecting Mahomes will be critical for Kansas City as the star QB recovers from a high ankle sprain that has kept him wandering around the Bengals, at the very least. Brown is guarding his blindside, but Redick has been a one-man wrecking crew as the Eagles’ stand-up rusher, knocking both Brock Purdine and Josh Johnson out of the NFC Championship.
- Eagles WR DeVonta Smith vs. Chiefs CB Jaylen Watson: The latter had a busy postseason picking up Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow. But either he or Trent McDuffie, working opposite AJ Brown for the Eagles, could have their hands full on Smith, who has proven to be one of the game’s most underrated route runners and ball artists.
Entertainment
This year’s Super Bowl halftime show will be headlined by Grammy-winning pop star Rihanna, and the pregame national anthem will be sung by Grammy-winning country music star Chris Stapleton. Grammy-winning R&B artist Babyface will also perform “America the Beautiful” before the premiere, and Emmy Award-winning actress and singer Sheryl Lee Ralph will perform “Lift Every Voice and Song.”
Prediction
This was the Super Bowl matchup of the four options heading into Sunday’s championship, in part because of the relationship between the two sides — Reid vs. Philly and Kelsey vs. Kelsey Angle — but mostly because of one extremely reliable offense. on the other. Mahomes and Harts have been the most consistent playmakers at their positions for 2022, and both QBs have proven to have good opportunities in this one. Mahomes will have a week to recover from his injured ankle before taking the field again, and the Hearts will face a vulnerable “D” against San Francisco. The Mahomes-Reid team has been there, done that, so it’s hard to bet against them. But the Eagles are well-rounded and won in a variety of ways, so we’ll give them some early nods. Call a The Eagles won 28-27.