Two of the most dominant teams over the past decade collide when the Philadelphia Eagles head west to take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
The Chiefs dropped their season-opening contest to the Los Angeles Chargers 27-21. The South American road trip showcased how their AFC West rivals have caught up to the three-time Super Bowl champions, especially early in the year.
Philadelphia had some suspense in dispatching its NFC East rivals to start the year with a win. In a 24-20 victory, the Eagles needed a second-quarter comeback to take control of the game, scoring 14 of their 24 points in that period.
After playing in two of the last three Super Bowls, these two franchises will face off in the regular season. Can Philadelphia continue to dominate its AFC counterpart, or will the Chiefs keep the Eagles from soaring to another victory? We’ll cover that and provide three player props for Sunday’s game.
The Chiefs relied heavily on quarterback Patrick Mahomes in their season-opening loss to the Chargers. He finished with one touchdown and 258 passing yards through the air while also notching 57 rushing yards and a score on the ground.
Look for Philadelphia to force the Chiefs’ offense to do the same on Sunday. The Eagles allowed only 70 yards on 21 Cowboys carries, making them one-dimensional in their season-opening win. Kansas City may suffer a similar fate, making Mahomes a strong bet to cover this player prop.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 or more yards in a single season, doing so in his year wearing Kelly Green. In his eighth season, the 28-year-old has amassed over 7,200 rushing yards and 49 rushing touchdowns, and he’s just shy of 9,700 total offensive yards.
On Sunday, he’ll face another tough matchup. The Chiefs held Chargers rookie Omarion Hampton to just 48 yards on 15 carries. It’s Barkley’s second straight bad matchup after the Cowboys held him to 60 rushing yards on 18 carries. That makes him a bad choice to finish above this player prop bet against Kansas City.
One of the most dangerous running quarterbacks is Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts. The sixth-year veteran has amassed 3,195 rushing yards in 78 career NFL games, averaging just over 40 yards per contest thus far.
He’s also scored 57 rushing touchdowns during that stretch, including two last week against Dallas. There’s no reason to assume he won’t add another to his total on Sunday, making him a safe choice to score in this matchup.
These are two different teams since Super Bowl LIX. Kansas City added to its defense, attempting to shore up this unit through free agency and the draft. The Chiefs also restructured their offensive line after seeing it dominated by Philadelphia in the Super Bowl.
Still, the Eagles are the stronger team. Philadelphia’s ability to run the football was on full display against Dallas, and Hurts is a capable passer. Expect the Eagles to soar in this matchup, winning the game by at least two points on Sunday.