7 Reasons Why the New England Patriots Will Win Super Bowl LII

The New England Patriots are favored by between 5 and 5 ½ points to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII. That’s the biggest point spread for any Super Bowl favorite since 2009 and reflects the widespread distrust that the sports books have for Philadelphia quarterback Nick Foles to continue his marvelous run in relief of the injured Carson Wentz. It also reflects the respect that the sports have developed for the Patriots’ ability to dismantle just about any opposing defense. As you consider your Super Bowl betting strategy for this game, take a look at some reasons why you should pick New England to win their sixth Super Bowl in a record ten attempts.

7 Reasons Why the New England Patriots Will Win Super Bowl LII

Focusing on Philly: pic.twitter.com/ub2VH6Z3op

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 24, 2018

1. That Quick Tom Brady Release

No quarterback gets the ball out more quickly, on average, than Brady does. So even though the Eagles have Fletcher Cox leading a furious pass rush, by the time they get to Brady, the ball will likely be gone. That’s a big difference from last week, when the Eagles got to Vikings quarterback Case Keenum time and time again.

2. Too Many Receivers to Cover

The Eagles do have a terrific secondary – they wouldn’t have been able to hold the Vikings to a single touchdown otherwise. However, the Patriots have a number of targets down the field – Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola and (if he’s back from the concussion protocol) Rob Gronkowski. Out of the backfield, the Pats have James White, Rex Burkhead and Dion Lewis. That’s a lot of people to keep an eye out for, and Brady has a knack for looping a perfect pass to each of them.

3. Nick Foles

It’s true that Foles has put up a three-digit passer rating in each of his first two postseason starts this year. He looked good enough against Atlanta to get the win, and then he looked all-world against a tough Minnesota defense. But he’s never lasted long enough as a starter to convince coaches to give him the top spot, and the harsh glare of the Super Bowl lights will bring him pressure unlike anything he has ever felt before. Can he go toe to toe with the most experienced Super Bowl quarterback of his generation in Brady?

4. That Comeback Factor

We saw Jacksonville leading the Patriots 20-10 going into the fourth quarter last week…and then the Patriots got two passing touchdowns to Amendola. We saw Atlanta leading the Patriots 28-3 in the third quarter of Super Bowl LI…and then we saw the Patriots ordering Super Bowl rings with 283 diamonds on each of them to commemorate that comeback. Even with a solid defense – like Jacksonville has – how will Philadelphia respond if they have a late lead and then Brady starts driving the team down the field? Too many teams tighten up on both sides of the ball when they see the Patriots start to come back. How can coach Doug Pederson help his team avoid a similar fate?

5. An Underrated Pass Rush

The Patriots sacked Marcus Mariota a team-record eight times in the divisional round of the playoffs. They didn’t get to Blake Bortles as often last week, but they got to him enough, particularly in the second half, to bring drives to an end and get the ball back for the offense – even when they were using just a four-man rush. Foles isn’t the most mobile quarterback out there, so the Eagles will need to have multiple blocking packages ready.

6. Gronk

Sure, the Eagles have a great tight end in Zach Ertz. But if Rob Gronkowski can play, the whole calculus of pass coverage changes. With his height and strength, there’s just about no ball that Gronk can’t reach if Brady gets it close enough. Will the Eagles put a linebacker on him? Or will they move a corner in and leave someone else to deal with the wide receivers?

7. That Giant Monkey

The Eagles carry the expectations of a whole city on their shoulders. We’ve read it for weeks – the Eagles have never won a Super Bowl. They’ve only been in two of the first 51. They last won an NFL title in 1960, when the team played on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, and their quarterback was Norm van Brocklin. That’s a ton of pressure for a team coming in against a squad that expects to win it all.