“Know your role and shut your mouth!” – Travis Kelce.
Those post-game words of wisdom from the Chiefs’ star tight end will go down in history after his side pulled off a miraculous 23-20 Conference Final victory over Cincinnati. While Kelce had his sights firmly on the Cincinnati Mayor when delivering his line like a modern-day William Wallace, we can all now happily take his advice with the Super Bowl this Monday.
Finally, after the season kicked off in Los Angeles six months ago, it will all end in Arizona with the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.
But where will the Vince Lombardi Trophy end up?
BetDeluxe is here to play its role by looking at both sides in-depth before shutting our mouths and enjoying one of the most highly anticipated Super Bowls in years.
Kansas City vs. Philadelphia
13th February 10:30am
If there’s one man who knows his role better than anyone, it’s Patrick Mahomes. And if his role is to inspire his team to a last-minute victory over the Bengals, he nailed it.
Mahomes was on another level during the Conference Final, with a high ankle sprain clearly impacting his ability to move and change direction at speed. However, the man tipped to replace Tom Brady as the next champion of the game fought through the pain with 326 yards and two TDs. He had outstanding support from Marquez Valdes-Scantling (116 yards and one TD) and Braveheart Kelce (78 yards and 1 TD), but it was the Mahomes show in Mahomes’ house. Or was it Burrowhead?
With two weeks in between games, Mahomes will have time to recover before the Super Bowl as he attempts to win his second ring and become the first quarterback to lead pass yards and claim Super Bowl victory in the same season. Those records are coming.
The biggest problem Mahomes will have is the ol’ Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles have been on a tear in the postseason, dismantling both the Giants (38-7) and 49ers (31-7) in their two matchups. They’ve been relentless, and they’ve been clinical. They now enter the biggest match of the year as $1.80 favourites. Yep, they’re taking on Mahomes, Andy Reid and the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, and they are shorter in the market.
Let’s start with Jalen Hurts. The star QB and MVP candidate was basically ineffectual against the 49ers. He was clearly battling injury, finishing with 121 yards and one rushed TD. While this may be a cause for concern for some, it’s tells us the Eagles are more than capable of covering when their star QB isn’t firing on all cylinders.
Miles Sanders stepped in with two TDs, while Haason Reddick finished the game with two sacks.
The Eagles are ranked #2 for offense (thanks mainly to Hurts), but they’re also more than proficient defensively (#3) and for rushing (#5). Seriously, Nick Sirianni is running the best all-around team in the NFL.
The biggest question revolves around how much movement Mahomes will have in his injured ankle and, subsequently, how much the Eagle’s defense can exploit it. Hurts should return to form – he rarely plays two poor games in a row – and the Eagles could win their first Super Bowl since 2017.
Ultimately, it will come down to the team, who best knows their role and shuts their mouth.
Suggested Bet – Same Game Multi
Leg 1: Eagles to win
Leg 2: Over 51.5 total points
Leg 3: J. Hurts to score anytime
Leg 4: P. Mahomes over 274.5 passing yards
Total: $6.25
