Big Cat Country
Who y’all got, Jags fans?
This season’s Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles is just a few days away.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Chiefs are 1.5-point betting favorites — but according to this week’s SB Nation national survey results, 51% of fans are picking the Eagles against the spread.
My heart is telling me to pick the Eagles (my dad was raised near Philly and attended Drexel University, GO BIRDS) yet my brain is telling me to pick the Chiefs.
It’s a boring and lazy take to predict Kansas City to win because they have Patrick Mahomes. I don’t care! The only thing that could convince me to bet against Mahomes in the playoffs is if he were playing outside Arrowhead versus a fellow top-five quarterback.
Sorry, Pops, but Jalen Hurts does not qualify. I know he had a magnificent performance in the Super Bowl between these two teams two years ago, and I hope he’ll come close to replicating it, but I have far more trust in Mahomes to make the extra 1-2 clutch plays it takes to win the big game.
Here’s a look at the survey results for Super Bowl MVP.
I may have just criticized Hurts but I do think he’s a solid bet for MVP at +350 odds because he’s so heavily involved near the goal line. If the Eagles win, there’s a good chance it’s because Saquon Barkley went nuclear, but I think there’s almost as good a chance that it’s because Hurts ran for two scores and threw for a few more.
My favorite longshot for MVP is Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams at +75000 odds. Jalen Carter at +10000 odds seems like good value too, but the reason I like Williams is because he typically lines up across from left guards; maybe Philadelphia will shift Carter to the other side of the line to take advantage of Kansas City’s Mike Caliendo, or maybe they’ll keep Carter where he’s comfortable, which would allow Williams to pin his ears back against a soft spot in Caliendo. Williams is a good pass rusher, especially for an interior lineman, and if he can beat Caliendo and wrap up for Mahomes for a clutch sack... there’s your path for winning $750 on a $1 bet.
What are your thoughts on Super Bowl LIX, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments below!
