Patriots On Verge Of Super Bowl History
In truth, the New England Patriots probably don't require another Super Bowl victory to be anointed as the NFL's greatest dynasty. With five Lombardi Trophies in 17 years, they are already the stuff of legend. But they can silence the few doubters and naysayers who remain by winning their sixth Super Bowl in their record 10th appearance because they'd be tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for all-time Super Bowl wins and have done it in nearly half the time. Pittsburgh's six Super Bowl triumphs came over a 25-year span.
To do so, the Patriots will have to overcome a Philadelphia Eagles team that is 0-2 in Super Bowl play, including a 24-21 loss to New England in Super Bowl XXXIX, and is starting backup quarterback Nick Foles in place of the injured Carson Wentz. Are the Eagles capable of putting Super Bowl history on hold? Let's look at that, based on the odds provided by Bovada.
Super Bowl LII - New England Patriots (-175) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (+155)
While all the attention on the Philadelphia side of the ledger has centered around Foles, the fact of the matter is that if the Eagles are to have any chance of dethroning the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots, it's going to require a Herculean effort from their defense. And they just might have the defense to do it.
Rotating as many as eight players along with his defensive front, Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz hopes fresh legs will enable his team to pressure Patriots QB Tom Brady, much in the fashion the New York Giants did against Brady in their two Super Bowl victories over New England.
That could be easier said than done, however. Brady has so many weapons at his disposal, from tight end Rob Gronkowski, to receivers Danny Amendola and Brandin Cooks, to running backs Dion Lewis, James White and Rex Burkhead. The Patriots have scored at least 20 points in every game but one this season.
Eagles coach Doug Pederson has done a splendid job of designing a game plan around the strength of Foles and disguising his weaknesses. He has a stud tight end in Zach Ertz, a deep threat in Alshon Jeffery and a 1-2 punch at running back in Jay Ajayi and LaGarrette Blount. But New England's bend but don't break defense is much better than people think.
If you are a trend bettor, there are plenty of those to explore in this game. New England will wear the white road uniforms, and the team clad in white has won 12 of the last 13 Super Bowls. This is the sixth Super Bowl rematch, and the team that won the first meeting is 4-1 in the second meeting. Eagles QB Foles wears a single digit number (nine). Both losing QBs for the Eagles in the Super Bowl wore single digit numbers - Ron Jaworski (seven) and Donovan McNabb (five).
On the Philly side of the trend coin, Brady was the NFL passing yardage leader, and passing yardage leaders are 0-5 in the Super Bowl. The Patriots are favored by 4.5 points, and teams favored by that exact margin are 0-2 in the Super Bowl. Teams that beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game are 0-2 in the Super Bowl.
No coach adjusts on the fly better than New England's Bill Belichick. It's bad enough for the Eagles that the hoodie was given two weeks to game plan for them. As history as shown time and again, he'll find new weaknesses to exploit as the game goes on. The Patriots are like the villain in a cheesy horror flick. Just when you think they're done, when you are certain they've been finished off for good, they rise up and conquer. Bet against them at your - and you wallet's - own peril.
Don't count on a blowout - the Patriots have never won the Super Bowl by more than six points - but count on Brady and Belichick finding a way to get it done once again.
New England Patriots (-4.5), over (48.5)
Bovada
Category : Betting Picks
Tag : Bill Belichick
, Danny Amendola
, Football
, Jay Ajayi
, nfl
, nick foles
, Rob Gronkowski
, Super Bowl
, tom brady
, Zach Ertz
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A win in Super Bowl LII, and the New England Patriots will join the Pittsburgh Steelers with a share of the record for most Super Bowls won. Each franchise would have six victories. A win in Super Bowl LII and the Philadelphia Eagles would remove themselves from the list of teams that are winless in multiple Super Bowl appearances, a group that also includes Buffalo, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Atlanta and Carolina.
A win in Super Bowl LII, and the New England Patriots will join the Pittsburgh Steelers with a share of the record for most Super Bowls won. Each franchise would have six victories. A win in Super Bowl LII and the Philadelphia Eagles would remove themselves from the list of teams that are winless in multiple Super Bowl appearances, a group that also includes Buffalo, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Atlanta and Carolina.
A win in Super Bowl LII, and the New England Patriots will join the Pittsburgh Steelers with a share of the record for most Super Bowls won. Each franchise would have six victories. A win in Super Bowl LII and the Philadelphia Eagles would remove themselves from the list of teams that are winless in multiple Super Bowl appearances, a group that also includes Buffalo, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Atlanta and Carolina.
A win in Super Bowl LII, and the New England Patriots will join the Pittsburgh Steelers with a share of the record for most Super Bowls won. Each franchise would have six victories. A win in Super Bowl LII and the Philadelphia Eagles would remove themselves from the list of teams that are winless in multiple Super Bowl appearances, a group that also includes Buffalo, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Atlanta and Carolina.
