With two high-powered offences taking to the field and the highly anticipated return to the stage by Rihanna at halftime, Super Bowl LVII looks to be one to remember for football fans around the world. At State Farm Stadium, kicking off at 16:30 UTC-7, the Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in a meeting of the two best teams of the NFL season.
Both the Chiefs and the Eagles offer some superb reasons to back them at Super Bowl LVII, from the Eagles’ very well-rounded campaign and incredible winning streak of eight games to the star power of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce for the Chiefs. However, one of these two teams stands out as the pick that European fans of the sport should get behind on Sunday.
Getting behind the underdogs
It’s a rare thing indeed, but those placing a bet on Super Bowl LVII will see the Kansas City Chiefs as the 1/1 underdogs. The Philadelphia Eagles have come in as the narrow favourites to win the big game at 5/6, but the odds draw level in the 1.5 handicap markets at 9/10 for the Chiefs at +1.5 and the Eagles at -1.5. This means that, even with the Eagles ahead in the outright odds, the bookmakers are tipping a close game.
In a close game, it’s tough not to get behind the underdogs, especially when there’s the big-play talent of Mahomes under centre. Not only this, but on the defensive side of the ball, fans can hope to see Chris Jones smash through the trenches to land some big sacks on Jalen Hurts. Looking a bit further than the spectacle itself, there may be a couple of other closer-to-home reasons to back the Chiefs, too.
Chiefs will be in Europe next season
Historically, the NFL International Series has mostly sent the league’s worst teams to play overseas, often in mismatch contests – but not necessarily against league-leading sides. In recent years, the quality of the teams and games leaving US soil has improved, and in 2023, some real quality looks to be on its way. Headlining the teams announced for International Games in 2023 are the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Bills will be going to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the UK, but the Chiefs – along with the New England Patriots – will be flying over to Germany to play in either Munich or Frankfurt. There can’t be much more of a draw for an NFL International Game than the reigning champions coming to town, which is why fans in Europe should have their fingers crossed for the Chiefs to triumph at Super Bowl LVII.
Chiefs love their Euro talents
The Kansas City Chiefs look set to field a Greek-born defensive end in Super Bowl LVII, but they also have a history of giving time to talents from the continent. In 2002/2003, they gave a jersey to placekicker Morten Andersen of Denmark, and from 1967 to 1979 – the start of the Super Bowl Era – the Chiefs held onto Norwegian placekicker Jan Stenerud. The Fetsund-native even won Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs in 1970.
With the Chiefs coming in as the underdogs, them fielding a player born in Europe this year and in the past, and Kansas City set to come to Germany, fans on this side of the Atlantic may want to back them for Super Bowl LVII.