BETONLINE SUPER BOWL PICK BY BARRY WILNER

There are so many intriguing aspects to this Super Bowl that it just might wind up being, well, SUPER.

Let us start at the top – of the standings, that is. Both the NFC champion Eagles and AFC champ Chiefs went 14-3. While Philadelphia was more overpowering at times, Kansas City might have been more entertaining.

The quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, were the front-runners for league MVP and are versatile, creative and tough.

Each team is superbly coached, working off its strengths. The Chiefs under Andy Reid have utilized the same offensive system for more than a decade, and it is so refined now that KC only slightly missed star wide receiver Tyreek Hill after he was traded last offseason to Miami. Reid has a knack for developing game plans that perfectly fit Mahomes’s many skills, and no one is more prescient with outside-the-box designs than Reid and his staff.

Philly comes close, though. No, Hurts isn’t as experienced nor resourceful nor spectacular as Mahomes can be, but he comes off a breakthrough season. Coach Nick Sirianni and coordinator Shane Steichen have discovered how to best incorporate Hurts’ strengths, particularly in the run game. And the Eagles’ offensive line not only is the best in football, it is one area where Philly is significantly superior to KC in this matchup.

That’s not to say the Chiefs have a week O-line. It’s more a tribute to the surpassing quality of Philadelphia’s blockers.

Offensive balance is a key to this game, and the Eagles have the stronger, deeper and more diverse ground game. Again, this comes down to the line as much as anything, but that doesn’t diminish the skills of running backs Miles Sanders, Kenny Gainwell and Boston Scott. While Isiah Pacheco has been a revelation as a rookie and Jerick McKinnon has contributed for the Chiefs, the edge goes to Philadelphia.

Same for the receiving corps, though the Mahomes-Travis Kelce combination can turn any game. Don’t be surprised if Kelce is in the MVP conversation should the Chiefs win.

But overall, especially with Hill gone, the receiving corps for KC isn’t on the same level as Philly’s. Hurts has two game breakers in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith – and a very solid, perhaps underrated tight end, Dallas Goedert — while Mahomes only has Kelce as a true difference maker.

On defense, well, the way the Buccaneers treated Mahomes in the Super Bowl two years ago still is fresh in the memory. Granted, the Chiefs’ offensive line was a mess back then and is much more secure now. Can it withstand the relentless and multifaceted pressure it will get from the sack-crazed Eagles led by Haason Reddick, Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and the rest of the contributors on the best front four in the NFL?  It’s very possible this Super Bowl will be decided by how well the Chiefs answer that question.

Kansas City’s defense is no slouch, certainly a better one than in the two most recent title game appearances when it beat San Francisco and was pummeled by Tampa Bay. DT Chris Jones has had a career season, while DE Frank Clark, LBs Nick Bolton and Willie Gay, and DBs L’Jarius Sneed and Juan Thornhill are very good players. But Philadelphia’s secondary, led by cornerbacks James Bradberry and Darius Slay, and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, has an edge in coverage and tackling skill over Kansas City’s.

Neither team is particularly outstanding on special teams, though both placekickers, KC’s Harrison Butker and Philly’s Jake Elliott, have a history of making big kicks.

What does it all add up to? If both teams play at their best, the Eagles, a 1 ½-point favorite, will win. But that Mahomes Magic should give everyone pause.

EAGLES, 27-23

Wilner’s 2022 RECORD

Last Week – Straight up: 0-2. Against the spread: 0-2

Season – Straight up: 178-87-2. Against the spread: 135-124-8.

Best Bet – Straight up: 15-5. Against the spread: 10-10. Upset Special – Straight up: 10-10. Against the spread: 11-9