The Super Bowl is this Sunday, and while we at the Daily Evergreen do not endorse betting on sporting events, there’s no harm in trying to predict the outcome of the big game.

First, there’s the Chiefs. Kansas City is known for their offensive superstars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, but their defense is the true backbone of the team. If Kansas City is going to win their third straight Super Bowl, they will have to win it with defense. 

Kansas City’s offense averages 222 passing yards per game, ranking 14th in the league. On the ground, they average 105 yards per game, 22nd in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Info. They also average 22.6 points per game, which is 15th in the league. 

Despite having household names and future hall-of-famers Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs offense has been putting up mostly average numbers. 

Kansas City’s defense, on the other hand, is fourth in the league in points allowed per game, averaging 19.2, and ninth in yards allowed per game, averaging 320.6. Looking deeper into the data, however, they do have a distinct weakness. 

While their rushing defense is eighth in the league, the Kansas City passing defense is 18th. If the Eagles can utilize the athletes they have on the perimeter, they can exploit the Chief’s secondary. 

On the other side of the field, the NFC champion Eagles boast a stellar defense and a similarly average offense, so the game is shaping up to be a match between two similarly constructed teams.

The Eagles’ defense is statistically one of the best in the league. They are first in yards allowed per game with 278 and second in points allowed per game with 17.8, just 0.1 points behind the Chargers.  

The key to the game for the Chiefs is the need to outperform their average numbers and have a balanced offense if they want a chance to win on Sunday. 

With that being said, Philly’s passing offense is 29th in the NFL and averages 188 yards per game. Even though their rushing offense is second, only behind Baltimore, the key to the game for the Eagles will be to throw for over 200 yards. If they did not have Saquon Barkley, they would likely need over 250 passing yards, but being able to throw the ball will make the Chiefs drop back in coverage and lighten the box for Saquon to run the ball. 

If there are less than seven in the box, expect the Eagles to run the ball. 

Overall, I expect the Eagles will be able to effectively balance their rushing and passing attack and will be able to score enough to challenge the Chiefs. While Patrick Mahomes is a star, he will not be able to overcome the best defense in the game.

Jett Hatch’s Prediction: Eagles 24 – Chiefs 20  

Other staff predictions:

Levi Coovert (sports co-editor): Chiefs 24 – Eagles 22

Connor Seuferling (sports co-editor): Chiefs 31 – Eagles 28

Zach Thummel: Chiefs 24 – Eagles 17

Davis Delmage: Eagles 32 – Chiefs 25

Smith Slye: Eagles 21 – Chiefs 17

Gaige Anderson: Chiefs 28 – Eagles 24