Super Bowl LII Predictions: Patriots or Eagles?

The Super Bowl is beloved for many reasons. Some point to the clever commercials as their favorite part. Others prefer the halftime show. And then there are the crazy ones, the people who watch the Super Bowl for the actual game. Tom Brady isn’t worried about what Justin Timberlake will sing for his performance. Legarrette Blount is just fine with missing Budweiser’s new commercial this year.

The New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles are set to square off in a rematch of the 2005 Super Bowl. Back then, Tom Brady was still a young man trying to prove himself. Today, he’s regarded as the best in the game and possibly the greatest of all time.

The Eagles come into the game as underdogs. The Patriots are favored by four and a half points. Philadelphia was at one point the favorite to win it all. That was, until their star quarterback Carson Wentz went down with an ACL injury. Nick Foles has stepped into the role and performed well enough to get them here.

This game is a clash of old versus new. The Eagles have never won a Super Bowl. The Patriots have won two of the last three. The city of Philadelphia is hungry for their first championship, but those in New England know they’re good. So the question remains, who wins? The sports writers of the Campus Citizen weigh in.

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Tyler Fenwick

The New England Patriots had the most efficient offense in the NFL this season, according to Football Outsiders. And before you start babbling about how few teams use their quarterback as often as the Patriots, don’t lose sight of the fact that New England also features the third-most efficient ground game.

On paper, the Philadelphia Eagles seem to have a defense that can disrupt at least some of the Patriots’ offensive groove (Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller said the key is pressure up the middle). This is what everyone will be paying attention to: Tom Brady vs. the Eagles’ defense. That’s simple and broad, but true. And Brady’s gonna win—because GOATs don’t lose.

New England 28, Philadelphia 20

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Chris Walter

This one is going to be a close one, but I think that Nick Foles is going to pull a Jeff Hostetler and lead the Philadelphia Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history. I believe that Foles is going to surprise the New England defense and throw 2 TDs and over 300 yards in the game. Tom Brady will get his opportunities probably throwing a couple touchdowns in the effort but the Patriots will come up short.

Philadelphia 24, New England 17

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Ryan Gregory

I hate to say it, but there is no beating the Patriots this year. I love the Eagle’s defense this year. They’re tenacious and are dripping in swagger. My issue is the offense. The one-two punch of Legarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi need to carry Philadelphia’s offense, because it’s highly unlikely that Nick Foles torches their secondary.

The Patriots are the better team and have been here before, so they get the edge in a close game. Tom Brady does enough with his arm to squeeze out his sixth ring.

New England 17, Philadelphia 7

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Leighann Strollo

As someone who has increasingly lost interest in the NFL over the last few years, I couldn't think of two teams I don't want to watch in the Super Bowl more than the match up this year. Although, there is something about the underdog Nick Foles bringing the Eagles to face the big bad Pats that makes them a little more likable.

Philadelphia will surely put up a good fight against a stellar New England offense but I just don't see it being enough to win. Brady will do what Brady does best (unless he's up against Eli Manning of course) and turn up the heat late in the game to solidify his sixth ring. Who knows, maybe he's already filmed a commercial showing it off, just as he did last year with his fifth.

New England 24, Philadelphia 13

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E.J. Bryan

We once again find ourselves watching the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. This time they face an Eagles team that has a great defense, but Nick Foles as their QB, the Patriots defense is gonna force Foles to make game winning plays. They will focus on stopping the run and in the end, Foles is gonna crack under the pressure. In the end Brady will have as many rings as Jordan.

New England 31, Philadelphia 17