The way things are looking, Super Bowl 52 could go down to the last possession. Sports analysts have been back and forth with their predictions, stating that they believe the game could go either way, it could be more of a defensive battle, it will be an offensive shootout and so on. No one will know how things will truly play out until Super Bowl Sunday. Legal Super Bowl betting sites seem to follow the notion of this game being close, but the combined points projections is set at 48 or 48.5 depending on where you look. If things remain close, this means people are betting on whether or not each team scores 24 points. Obviously, there can be a blowout with one team scoring the lion’s share of points, but this game seems like it will be gritty.
Everyone has been talking about each team’s defense, and rightly so. The Eagles are the #4 ranked defense in the league this year and the Patriots are the #4 team. You can’t rule out the offense though. Both of these teams defeated the top ranked defensive teams in the league in their respective Conference Championship games. While this feat is positive in and of itself, there is something to be taken from both sides.
If you look at the AFC Championship game, the Patriots were up against the #2 defense in the league. Yes, Tom Brady was on the field and yes, he can maneuver through any defense, but the Pats certainly felt the pressure in the first half. It took a Tom Brady-fourth quarter to pull the Patriots out of what would’ve been an embarrassing loss. They narrowly escaped the Jags’ clutches. Since the #3 defense in the LA Chargers is not here in the Super Bowl, the Pats are left to deal with #4. This will be their toughest Super Bowl matchup to date. If the defense is able to keep up the pressure with Brady, the offense may be allowed some cushion to build a lead.
The Eagles should learn from the past mistakes of the Jags and the Atlanta Falcons in last year’s Super Bowl. You can’t give up pressure on Brady. He is too experienced and will make plays if given the time and space. The Eagles’ best bet is to keep him off the field by eating up the clock through a slow-paced offense.
If you look at the Eagles performance in the NFC Championship, they put up 38 points against the #1 ranked defense in the league. Everyone thought the Eagles would be exposed against the Vikings, but they, including Nick Foles, the quarterback no one figured would be in this position, went to town against them. Both the rush and pass offense worked with great results.
So, what does this all tell us? It tells us that both teams can play against top ranked defenses. It tells us 1 team had more success, but that shouldn’t matter too much when discussing the Patriots. Each team will be playing its toughest opponent so far in the Playoffs. They are the top seeded teams for a reason and showed that to get to this point. Legal online football betting experts say it’s going to New England, but the sportsbooks are reporting more bets towards the Eagles. Whatever happens, expect a similar outcome to Super Bowl 39, where these teams last faced off in a Super Bowl. The margin of victory will be close, and the game will come down to the last possession. For bettors this will be frustrating to watch, but for fans, it will be an incredible game.