The build-up to the Super Bowl is ramping up faster than ever. It is early in the fortnight but the numbers in the marketplace are already being thrown around from every direction. There are stories to support both Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs as well as Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. We will stay away from all the theories and roadmaps to victory and focus instead on the numbers and in particular the numbers reported by BetMGM throughout the next two weeks.
Makes sense to start with the coin flip. There are only two choices and a couple of days into the action, tails has a sizable advantage in both ticket count (56%-44%) and handle (59%-41%). When it comes to picking the winner of the coin toss, the public favors the Chiefs by a slim margin when it comes to the ticket count (51%-49%) but by a healthy margin when it comes to the handle (59%-41%).
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We will look at other numbers reported by those behind the counter at BetMGM but before diving in further here are a couple notes you may find interesting as you build your case in support of either Andy Reid‘s Chiefs or Nick Sirianni‘s Eagles.
Patrick Mahomes is an overwhelming favorite to claim his 2nd MVP Trophy this year. Seems like a positive for Kansas City. For the Eagles’ fans in attendance, the last nine regular season MVPs have lost in the Super Bowl. The last MVP to claim the Lombardi Trophy was Kurt Warner in 1999.
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A little deeper dive and KC fans find a ray of hope. Teams with a Strength of Schedule (SOS) 10 or more spots higher than their opponent in the Super Bowl have gone 10-3 the last 13 years. Subtract the Falcons’ almost impossible collapse and John Gruden practically calling out the Raiders’ plays - from the Tampa sideline and that stat jumps to 10-1. The Philadelphia Eagles had an SOS that ranked 31st in the league and the Kansas City Chiefs’ SOS was 16th.
Let the arguments and the sweat commence.
