The two best teams are left to fight out Super Bowl LII as the New England Patriots look for back-to-back wins when they face the Philadelphia Eagles on February 4. It has been a crazy NFL season to date, but two 13-3 teams have reached the Super Bowl in Minnesota and we have an early preview of the big game. Much has been said about how each team reached the Super Bowl, with the Patriots coming back in the fourth quarter and the Eagles running all over the Vikings. That should set it up for a classic Super Bowl, but which team will come out ahead in two weeks’ time?
New England Patriots Form
The Patriots have carried momentum through to this Super Bowl after coming back from 25 points down against the Falcons last season. That confidence is evident with the Patriots, which didn’t look overly impressive against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Conference Championship last week, but two touchdowns in the fourth quarter was enough to see Tom Brady and his men advance to the big dance.
If anyone questioned just how good Tom Brady is, then those questions were answered against the Jaguars. Brady led his team back from a 10-point deficit to win by four points and he did it largely without his top receiver. Tight end Rob Gronkowski was concussed early in the game and he didn’t make a return, so Brady was forced to find other targets. He did just that and the Patriots defence also held strong to deny the Jaguars any scoring plays.
Brady and coach Bill Belichick are searching for their sixth Super Bowl win as a duo and the dominant force will be tough to beat. Brady’s Super Bowl record of 5-2 is outstanding and just playing in eight Super Bowl games is going to be a massive achievement. This Patriots team will need to play better against the Eagles, which know how to score points on good defensive teams, but betting against the Patriots has been a recipe for disaster in recent history.
Philadelphia Eagles Form
The Eagles have had an interesting season to say the least. With Carson Wentz at the quarterback position, the Eagles were expected to be at the Super Bowl, but when he got injured and Nick Foles came into replacement the likely MVP winner, expectations were shifted. Not many people thought they would get past the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Championship, let alone the Minnesota Vikings in the Conference Championship.
That win was so dominant that bookmakers have had to respect the chances of the Eagles with two weeks’ worth of rest under their belt. The 38-7 thrashing came against the best defence in the NFL and they made them look second rate. Nick Foles had an amazing game and proved that he can muster enough ability on the big stage.
Questions remain as to whether Foles could produce a similar effort that will be needed to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl, but he will get his chance on February 4. Eagles players won’t have the experience edge in the Super Bowl, compared to those playing for the Patriots, but they have an exciting core group which can turn the game on its head at any stage. That was the situation against the Vikings and it ultimately turned the game in their favour. Trailing 7-0, the Eagles came up with a pick six and turned the game on its head. The Patriots will have to be careful turning the ball over against this impressive Eagles side.
Betting statistics
The statistics show that the Eagles are a team to follow when coming off a big win. They also show that the Patriots are tough to beat in the playoffs and that the underdog often has the advantage in this match up.
- Eagles are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Eagles are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS win.
- Eagles are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win of more than 14 points.
- Patriots are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Patriots are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games on turf.
- Patriots are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Patriots are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 playoff games.
- Underdog is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
Super Bowl betting tip
It was hard not to be impressed with the Philadelphia Eagles against the Minnesota Vikings, but there are some negative aspects to factor in. It’s never easy to play your very best in consecutive games and the lack of experience in the Super Bowl counts against the Eagles. On the other hand, the Patriots have stacks of experience and as shown last season, it doesn’t matter how far behind they are, they’re still capable of winning. The pressure might be all too much for the Eagles and despite the NFL becoming a one-team show, that show should continue to roll on February 4 and Tom Brady will be named the greatest player in history. Patriots –5 (10/11) at Ladbrokes is a good price as we’re predicting a 10-point win.