This is it. The 2017 season will come to an end after Sunday, but until then, our experts below are giving some final pieces of advice. If you’ve paid attention throughout these playoffs, you will know that the Eagles have beat expectations every week. Nick Foles has played surprisingly well and while he won’t face a top flight defense, he will face a Bill Belichick team that game plans with the best of them.
On the other side of the ball, Tom Brady is looking for the same final result as the last time these two teams met in the Super Bowl (2005). Can he lead his team to a sixth championship? With just a 4.5 point spread, Vegas expects this to be a close one. The experts have made their picks against the spread, see who they like.
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Philadelphia Eagles (+4.5) |
New England Patriots (-4.5) |
49%of Experts |
51%of Experts |
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“I’ve been wrong about the Eagles the entire playoffs. They have finally proven to me that they can at least keep this game closer than I would have thought three weeks ago.”
– Joe Bond (Fantasy Six Pack) “The Patriots will win the game, but 4.5 points is too much to pass on. The Eagles are good in the trenches on both sides of the ball and they’ll keep it close. Patriots take it 28-24.”
– James Rapien (Get Sports Info) “I personally can’t stand that the Patriots ‘came back’ in last year’s Super Bowl when they were down 28-3. This choice is as much emotional and preferential as it is strategic and analytic. That being said, I do believe the Eagles defense is good enough to keep Philadelphia in range of New England throughout the contest. If Philly wins, it seems like the MVP would have to be someone like Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry or Derek Barnett.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts) “The Eagles might not win, but they’re that rare underdog that probably would have been the favorite had Carson Wentz not been lost for the year. The Patriots rarely win Super Bowls by a wide margin, so history could repeat itself here. Philly has the defense and running game to keep this close and the rest depends on whether or not Nick Foles can avoid a face-plant.”
– Kevin Roberts (Breaking Football) “Philly, like the Jags, have the defensive formula to beat NE, as they can get pressure with their front 4. The Jags let their foot off the gas, a mistake I do not expect the Eagles to make.”
– Ken Zalis (Pressbox) “In the Patriots comeback against the Falcons last year, the key was keeping the fatigued Falcons defense on the field in the 4th quarter. If the Eagles can somehow prevent that and get to Brady, they’ll take their first Super Bowl to Philadelphia. Another close Super Bowl.”
– Richard Savill (Fantasy Six Pack) “What is the best way for a backup QB to succeed? How about having both a head coach AND an offensive coordinator that are both former backup NFL quarterbacks themselves with big game experience. Let’s not forget what his OC Frank Reich did in the NFL playoffs in a big spot (see Bills vs Oilers ’93 “The Comeback”) and who also has his own experience in the Super Bowl filling in for an injured star QB. Oh yeah, let’s toss in that his HC earned a Super Bowl ring backing up HOF QB Brett Favre with the Green Bay Packers in SB XXXI. Time to jump aboard the ‘Cheesesteak’ express.”
– Staff Rankings (ScoutFantasy) “I’ve said all season that Philadelphia will go as far as their defensive line can take them and the unit continues to play at a high level. They’ll disrupt Brady’s rhythm and lead the Eagles to an upset win.”
– Wayne Bretsky (BretskyBall) “New England likes to keep things interesting in the big game. Tom Brady’s five Super Bowl victories include a combined margin of victory of just 19 points, and the come-from-behind, overtime win over the Falcons last year actually represents the Patriots’ biggest win (6 points). If I’m picking a straight-up winner, it’s still New England, but the Eagles should be right in this until the end so I’ll take Philly and the points.”
– Jason Willan (Gridiron Experts) “Patriots win, Eagles cover. Last minute Eagles drive ends with an interception, we’ve seen this game before. (Patriots 23, Eagles 21)”
– Kevin Wheeler (NFL Mock) “Being the underdog is nothing new for the Eagles during this postseason and they seem to be using that status as motivation. Picking against Tom Brady and the Patriots is never a comfortable thing to do, but I actually think the Eagles could win the game outright. The Eagles need to do something that the Jaguars failed to do, and that is being aggressive and putting pressure on Brady for ALL four quarters.”
– Rich Piazza (Fantasy Shed) |
“Props to Nick Foles for that wow performance in the NFC Championship game. Alas, like with most sequels, I’m expecting a letdown. Pats, again.”
– Ben Standig (CSN Mid-Atlantic) “The only time I bet against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl is when they are facing the Giants. The Eagles may be from the same division but they lack the experience. Tom Brady is cementing his legacy as the greatest QB of all time and I expect New England to win this game by at least a touchdown.”
– KJ (Fantasy Team Advice) “I’ll sell high on the Eagles, buy the Pats coming off a near loss and fade the public, who’s heavily on Philly. The Eagles struggled this year against hurry-up offenses, and let’s not overthink this: it’s Brady/Belichick versus Nick Foles. I’ll say Patriots 27-20, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this turns into a full blowout.”
– Dalton Del Don (Yahoo! Sports) “The Patriots typically find a way to win big games like this. The Eagles defense will really need to show up in order to win this game.”
– James Hatfield (Hatty Waiver Wire Guru) “The Eagles can win this game if their front four gets pressure on Brady (think Giants) and their excellent O-line helps them run the ball well. However, I think the Pats will try to make Nick Foles beat them, and Foles won’t be able to do it.”
– John Halpin (RotoWire.com) “I just can’t bet against the Patriots at this point. Yes, they always play close Super Bowls, but there’s no reason to think that the Eagles will build up a significant lead like the Seahawks and the Falcons did in the Patriots’ last two Super Bowls. Once they fall behind, I’d be hard-pressed to see Nick Foles leading a comeback effort for the Eagles, and I think the Patriots should win the game by a touchdown or so.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros) “I believe in the Eagles’ ability to generate a consistent pass rush through all four quarters. I just believe in experience and the Patriots’ ability to find a way more.”
– Jon Collins (Fantasy Sports LR) “The Patriots are simply too talented and experienced for the Eagles to pull off the upset. I expect New England to pull away in the second half, winning by double digits.”
– Matthew Hill (DataForce Fantasy Football) “New England’s edges in coaching and at QB bring them the Lombardi Trophy over an Eagles squad that might boast more overall talent.”
– Jared Smola (Draft Sharks) “Given the Patriots’ pedigree and the vast chasm between Tom Brady and Nick Foles, this number seems lower than it should be. The Eagles can win, but probably not without playing a near-flawless game, and it’s hard to imagine Foles doing in New England with an Eli Manning-caliber Super Bowl performance.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (The Football Girl) “It’s nearly impossible to pick against Brady and Belichick in the Super Bowl. The Eagles have a more talented roster overall so they can keep it close. I think the Patriots win it 28-21 coming from behind in the 4th quarter. In close Super Bowls there is none better than Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.”
– Mauricio Gutierrez (Estadio Fantasy) “Philadelphia has had an amazing season and to get to this game even after losing Carson Wentz is quite an achievement. However, I’m sticking with experience and going with Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and company. Patriots move into a tie with the Steelers with a sixth Super Bowl title.”
– Dan Clasgens (Pro Football Focus) “A coaching and QB edge is obviously gigantic, especially with extra prep time. New England’s wide usage tree is also a key here.”
– Scott Pianowski (Yahoo! Sports) “This spread would have been -6.5 or -7 prior to the championship games. This is too much of an overreaction to one pair of games. Also, this is the greatest quarterbacking disparity we’ve seen in the Super Bowl since Peyton Manning vs. Rex Grossman – and we all know how that turned out.”
– Walter Cherepinsky (WalterFootball) “After two weeks of op-eds and analysis that scrutinized matchups and DVOA trends, many of us will go into this game thinking it’s a toss-up. In reality, while this game should be close heading into halftime, I can’t see A) the Patriots having a tough time scoring points, or B) the Eagles keeping up with how many points the Patriots are scoring. I don’t expect it to be a bad game, but I expect the Patriots to lead by at least seven for the majority of the game.”
– Robert Waziak (Pyromaniac) “How quickly we forget how inept the Eagles offense with Nick Foles was in the last two games of the regular season and their first playoff game. Get Foles and the Eagles out of Philly to a neutral site with an inexperienced coach facing a clutch QB with a ton of playoff success and they will struggle. I’m expecting a double-digit win for the Patriots.”
– Brad Richter (Going For 2) – Greg Smith (TwoQBs)
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43%of Experts |
57%of Experts |
0%of Experts |
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