Early Super Bowl Betting Preview
Ed Zurga, Matt Slocum / Associated Press
Glendale, Arizona (PSF) — The Philadelphia Eagles are set to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. The Super Bowl has been one of the biggest days for sports betting as it’s one of the most popular sporting events each year with so much at stake. Sportsbooks often come up with all kinds of crazy bets to intrigue bettors.
This year’s Super Bowl opened as a toss-up, meaning the line was even. However, the Eagles quickly emerged as the betting favorites and sportsbooks have adjusted their lines in favor of the Eagles. The following is an early preview of some odds and props on key players for this season’s Super Bowl matchup. These odds are courtesy of FanDuel as of the morning of Monday, January 30th.
Gameline:
Eagles -1.5 (Chiefs +1.5)
Yes, this game did open at even odds, but within the first half an hour or so of being posted, most sportsbooks adjusted their odds in favor of the Eagles. This should be a close game regardless, even with the quick shift in the line. It will be interesting to watch the line movement over the next two weeks as more bets and some larger bets come in. With concerns around Patrick Mahomes’ injury and the Eagles playing dominant football, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the line move even more in favor of the Eagles.
Over/Under: 49.5 Total Points
This number has stayed here at 49.5 since the opening odds. It’s a bit of a higher line compared to the average line this season and compared to the average points scored in NFL games this season, but both of these teams can put up points no matter what defense you put them up against. I think it’s safe to say that this line will stay relatively steady around this number barring any unforeseen news before the Super Bowl.
Passing Yards Props:
Patrick Mahomes Over/Under 281.5; Jalen Hurts Over/Under 241.5
Mahomes’ ankle injury didn’t limit his passing ability against the Bengals as he threw for 326 yards. The Eagles defense is better than the Bengals though, and this feels like a good line. I’d expect Mahomes to be right around 280 passing yards. As for Jalen Hurts, this line is right around his average passing yards per game this year, although he has been underwhelming as a passer in his two playoff games this year. He’s dealing with a shoulder injury, but he will have time to rest and recover before the Super Bowl. It might come down to how effectively the Eagles can run the ball. They’ve been great at it all season, but will the Chiefs be able to limit them and force Hurts to throw?
Rushing Yards Props:
Miles Sanders Over/Under 55.5, Isiah Pacheco Over/Under 53.5
These lines each seem a bit off to me, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see each of them move in opposite directions before the game. Miles Sanders’ line seems a bit too low. He averaged about 75 yards per game in the regular season, and the Eagles should rely on their strong run game to slow down and limit opportunities for the Chiefs offense. Although he didn’t reach this line in the NFC Championship game and the Chiefs did a great job of defending the run against the Bengals, I think this line should be a bit higher. As for Isiah Pacheco, he emerged later in the season for the Chiefs as their number one running back. However, Pacheco wasn’t very effective against the Bengals, and the Eagles defense should be able to limit him as well. I also would expect Jerick McKinnon taking more snaps away from him in this game as McKinnon is a veteran pass-catching back that the Chiefs have loved utilizing down the stretch this season. This line for Pacheco is a bit high in my opinion.
Receiving Yards Props:
Travis Kelce Over/Under 78.5, AJ Brown Over/Under 72.5
Travis Kelce has shown this season that he’s one of the most dominant offensive players in the league. I think that this line is reasonable. It’s right at his average yards per game this season. The Chiefs should lean on Kelce in the passing game, but will the Eagles defense be able to do enough to limit him? As for AJ Brown, he has been quiet in the playoffs thus far, but the Chiefs secondary has some inexperience and injury concerns. I could see Brown having a huge game for the Eagles. Brown has really been a difference-maker for this Eagles offense in taking them to that next step compared to last season, and this line is low compared to his average yards per game this season.
We should have a great game for this year’s Super Bowl with plenty of action to bet on. If you do choose to bet on the game, always remember to gamble responsibly, and enjoy the game!
