Super Bowl 2023 picks, predictions against spread: Why Eagles will ...

With the Eagles and Chiefs playing in Super Bowl 57, the two No. 1 seeds in the NFL playoffs are playing for a ring for the first time since the Eagles beat the Patriots in Super Bowl 52. While Philadelphia is hoping to make it two Super Bowl victories in five years, Kansas City is attempting to go two-for-four.

There are a lot of interesting storylines connecting the teams. The first is the fact Chiefs coach Andy Reid is facing his other long-time NFL employer. It's also a game featuring the Kelce brothers, Chiefs tight end Travis and Eagles center Jason. Also worthy of top billing is Patrick Mahomes vs. Jalen Hurts, a battle between two MVP-caliber quarterbacks.

Based on the initial line at Sports Interaction, the NFC's Eagles are slight favorites (-2.5) as the designated home team for Super Bowl 57 (Sunday Feb. 12, 6:30 p.m. ET, Fox). Most sportsbooks have the game total set at either 48.5 or 49.5 points.

Everything about the matchup says it will be thrilling, tight and difficult to call in the end. Here's Sporting News' breakdown of Super Bowl 57 from both teams' perspectives and determining why Philadelphia should beat Kansas City:

MORE SUPER BOWL 57: Halftime show | Location | Tickets

The Eagles' offense is difficult to slow down for many reasons. They can be a dominant rushing team behind the NFL's best offensive line with Hurts joining the power running success along with Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott. They also can be a dangerous downfield passing team, with Hurts letting the ball loose to dynamic wide receiver duo A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

When the Eagles have protected Hurts and the ball, they haven't lost. The Chiefs got a couple key interceptions vs. Joe Burrow from a Bengals one-dimensional offense in the AFC championship game. They can't expect the same luxury with their pass rush in the Super Bowl.

The Eagles poked holes in a dominant 49ers run defense because of their athletic blocking. The Chiefs also can expect to be exploited on the ground and will need to bend don't break again for Steve Spagnuolo. It will be difficult to take either Brown or Smith away in coverage and they also need to factor in a tough matchup vs. tight end Dallas Goedert.

The Chiefs' defensive strengths do not line up well with the Eagles' offensive strengths in a balanced, explosive attack.

Advantage: Eagles

The Eagles had 70 sacks to lead the NFL during the regular season, 15 more than the second-place Chiefs in that category. Their pass rush is deep and versatile and can get to Mahomes from the edge or the inside, often with only four men.

The Eagles also have two fine corners outside in Darius Slay and James Bradberry. They also have gotten more rangy in coverage with safeties, linebackers and extra defensive backs. Like their offense, the Eagles are complete on defense, where they also have the benefit of great depth.

But it's still Mahomes, armed with Travis Kelce and other weapons he can use well in the middle of the field. Mahomes will spread the ball out and get it out quickly and he'll be helped by Reid and Eric Bieniemy adjusting the personnel groupings to find the right matchups. 

On paper, the healthy Eagles should be able to limit Mahomes' big-play ability with their sound back-end play behind the league's nastiest pass rush. Mahomes, however, figures to be a lot healthier in a couple weeks to get plenty of wins via more off-script plays.

Advantage: Chiefs

The Eagles will have limited surprises for the Chiefs. They have stuck with the  toggling dual threat of Hurts because it works so well offensively and trust that Jonathan Gannon will maximize his immense mix of talent defensively. They have a lot of "A-factors" in their favor.

The Chiefs need to find multiple X-factors to help Mahomes and Kelce. Deep threat Marquez Valdes-Scantling has expanded his repertoire to make key catches all over the field for Mahomes in the playoffs. They will hope Kadarius Toney and JuJu Smith-Schuster can be healthy enough to provide more sparks in the Super Bowl. Either Isiah Pacheco or Jerick McKinnon out of the backfield can have a huge impact with limited touches.

Advantage: Chiefs

The Chiefs are in the Super Bowl because they got a big punt return from rookie Skyy Moore and a money field goal from Harrison Butker. Punter Tommy Townsend is a first-team All-Pro. Dave Toub is a wily long-time special teams maven coaching them. 

The Eagles don't quite have the same 1-2 punch with their legs in fill-in punter Brett Kern and kicker Jake Elliott. They also have seen limited returns from Boston Scott on kickoffs and Britain Covey on punts.

Advantage: Chiefs

Nick Sirianni, only 41, has been a master motivator for the Eagles, weaving his team's attitude, personality and togetherness within the fabric of Philadelphia. He has a brash and energetic new-school style that has worked very well in two seasons. 

Although that's cool and the Philly fanatics have embraced it, Sirianni and Gannon just don't have the same established savvy as Reid, Bieniemy, Spagnoulo and Toub. Reid gets through in his own way as a beloved players coach. Siranni simply can't match Reid's overall and Super Bowl experience.

Advantage: Chiefs

No one is surprised by the Chiefs' presence in another Super Bowl. But the Eagles shocked most by jumping up from No. 7 NFC wild card to the best team in its conference wire to wire, outlasting the 49ers, Cowboys, Buccaneers and other familiar strong contenders.

No matter the betting line in this game, the Eagles will consider themselves underdogs in the game because Mahomes and Reid are on the side, trying to win their second Super Bowl in three recent trips. That will play into the "dawg mentality" that Siranni has been preaching to his players.

The Chiefs got a little too much into the trash-talk drama with the Bengals and while the Eagles held off some frustrated extracurricular physical blows from the 49ers. Both teams have won the Super Bowl of late, so it will be about the team that plays the disrespected card better.

Advantage: Eagles

When examining the total personnel of both teams, the Eagles have the better offensive line and the better defensive front seven. They have more with which to help their quarterback, including the willingness to run and get him involved in doing so. Hurts has more reliable weapons, including his own legs, than Mahomes does.

Both teams will be hard-pressed to force turnovers and can't hope that the opponent beats itself with key mistakes or breakdowns. Should just the Eagles and Chiefs just line up in a physical, well-coached disciplined game with its share of big-play flashes, the Eagles are the stronger team with fewer weaknesses. Hurts, much like Nick Foles in Super Bowl 52 for the Eagles, plays well with a lot of help while Mahomes falls a little short carrying his Chiefs one more time.

Eagles 31, Chiefs 27