Super Bowl odds: Patriots favored over Eagles

OddsSharkJan 25, 2018, 9:20 AM EST

With the big game just 10 days away, the New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady are listed as 5-point favorites on the Super Bowl betting lines at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com against the Philadelphia Eagles with a 48-point total.

New England did not cover the spread during the AFC Championship Game, but the Patriots are 9-1 straight-up and against the spread in their last 10 games after an ATS loss. The Patriots also have that same sample of 9-1 SU and ATS in their last 10 games when they were favored by 3.5 to 6.5 points – between a field goal and touchdown margin – at kickoff.

The game takes place at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on February 4. New England opened as a six-point favorite. One reason that the line has inched closer to parity is that tight end Rob Gronkowski has to complete the NFL concussion protocol. Brady was not on the injury report released Wednesday.

The case for the Eagles, who are 15-3 SU and 12-6 ATS, to fulfill their betting value as the underdog starts with QB Nick Foles and his execution of the run-pass option (RPO) scheme, which discombobulated the Minnesota Vikings, whose defense was No. 1 in the regular season, during the NFC Championship Game.

New England’s weak spots defensively are outside containment and defending passes in the middle of the field, or at least that was the case before they went into playoff mode.

The Eagles, who are 4-1 SU and ATS in their last five games as an underdog, will need to avoid becoming predictable and spread the touches among playmakers such as running back Jay Ajayi, wideouts Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith and slot receiver Nelson Algohor.

Philadelphia middle linebacker Dannell Ellerbee (hamstring) has resumed practicing after missing the Minnesota game. Bettors who buy into conference strength have likely noticed the Eagles are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 games against the AFC.

The Patriots, who are going for a record-tying sixth Super Bowl title, are also 15-3 SU and 12-6 ATS and have a massive edge in collective experience with the Super Bowl, where they are 5-2 SU under coach Bill Belichick.

New England squeaked through the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars thanks to its offensive line, led by center David Andrews and left tackle Nate Solder, limiting the pressure Brady faced from the Jaguars, whose average of 3.44 sacks per game in the regular season was much higher than the 2.38 of the Eagles, whose front four includes a top defensive tackle in Fletcher Cox.

Given time, Brady can still pick apart defenses with passes to the likes of wide receivers Danny Amendola and Brandin Cooks, running back Dion Lewis, and of course Gronkowski.

On paper, New England’s “efficient enough” running game built around Lewis and James White has a tough matchup against Philadelphia’s No. 1-ranked rushing defense. But New England – just ask the Atlanta Falcons – has won Super Bowls while being pass-heavy.

One probably shouldn’t read too much into the fact that Philadelphia beat New England in the teams’ last meeting on December 6, 2015, since the Patriots are 14-2 SU in their last 16 games after losing the previous game in a matchup.

This will be the first game for either team at U.S. Bank Stadium, which opened in 2016.

The total has gone under in five of the Eagles’ last seven games after a win, but it has gone over in seven of their last nine games as an underdog. The total has gone under in 10 of the Patriots’ last 14 games.

For more odds info, picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news check out the OddsShark podcast with Jon Campbell and Andrew Avery. Subscribe on iTunes, or check it out at OddsShark.libsyn.com.

Super Bowl squares 2023: Explanation, how to play, rules and printable template

By Kyle LynchFeb 12, 2023, 12:00 PM EST

Star quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts are set to go head-to-head today, Super Bowl Sunday, when the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.

Even if you’re home watching on the couch, you can still get in on the action by filling out your squares, which has become a Super Bowl tradition.

What are Super Bowl squares and what is the format?

A board features 10 rows and 10 columns, adding up to 100 squares total. One of the teams is assigned the rows, while the other team is assigned the columns.

Each person in the pool then chooses one (or multiple) squares, depending on your pool’s rules. In some pools, squares are randomly assigned, while you may choose your own square in other pools.

After all the squares have been filled, numbers between zero and nine are randomly chosen for each row and column.

How do Super Bowl squares work? How do I win?

Each square has a corresponding row and column number. At the end of each quarter, the player whose two numbers match the end digits of each team’s point total will win.

For example, if the score at the end of the first quarter is Chiefs 13, Eagles 7, the player whose box corresponds with “3” for Kansas City and “7” for Philadelphia would win.

Most pools pay out for the final score at the end of each quarter, for a total of four winners (1st quarter, halftime, 3rd quarter, final score). Some pools pay out for every score throughout the game.

Where can I find a template for Super Bowl squares?

NBC Sports has provided a template below, complete with a 10 by 10 grid. Fans can click here to print this template out to use for their Super Bowl squares.

How can I watch and live stream Super Bowl 2023?

When: Sunday, February 12, 2023
Where: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
TV Channel: FOX
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Marry Your Passion With Your Curiosity: Panelists Discuss Building Your Brand in Leadup to Super Bowl LVII

By Alexis DavisFeb 11, 2023, 12:07 PM EST

Fans in every color jersey of the rainbow internationally will tune into Super Bowl LVIII this Sunday. Ahead of the game, NBCU Academy partnered with PNE Showcase and Arizona State University to bring students and professionals an inside look at the people who color outside the lines for the National Football league.

The three powerhouses co-hosted the Building and Being Your Brand seminar in hopes of helping students and other national professionals identify their brand and the best ways to communicate the pillars of their brand to the masses.

There are just under 4,000 people employed by the NFL, which makes for hundreds of job paths within the league. As the panel began, NFL international marketing and player relations manager Emily Wirtz spoke about how her roots in Germany translated into the role she has now.

The first door opened for Wirtz in the NFL was as a digital video editor and producer. Wirtz transparently admitted she did not feel qualified for the job but with an extra push from her father, she decided to still go after the interview.

“My dad told me that even if I do not land the job, it will at least be good interview practice,” Wirtz said.

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Wirtz still thanks her father to this day. Her video supervisor learned she spoke German and instantly recommended her for a role within the NFL’s global expansion. She would go on to execute the first NFL game in Germany. Germany’s first official exposure to American football at the highest level sold out of millions of tickets in three minutes.

“When we are on the way to these international games in London, Germany and Mexico City, the NFL staff, we’re usually on a big bus or van,” Wirtz said. “In the van it’s about 40 of us and we’re literally trying to find a fan in one of the jerseys of all 32 teams. When we see someone we are like Chargers, Rams or whatever the team is! Every international game I’ve been to, all 5, we’ve been able to spot someone in each jersey.”

By showing up as her authentic self, Wirtz was able to leverage her job. All five of the panelists promoted a “helmet-off” approach to the game. This idea promotes getting to know the stories of the players to help advance the game.

Director of NFL college and club social marketing Sana Merchant-Rupani discussed taking on tasks that require you to grow. Before joining the league, Merchant-Rupani worked in digital marketing at Empire State Realty Trust. In the position, she was tasked with creating an Instagram presence for the company.

Merchant-Rupani had no experience with Instagram when taking on this task but it directly led her into her current role.

“You have to marry your passion with your curiosity,” Merchant-Rupani said.

Senior manager of NFL game operations Karley Berry further emphasized Merchant-Rupani’s message by presenting the contrast. Berry posited that if a job is presented to someone and they check off all the job requirements, then the job is not for them.

The entire audience was initially confused by the statement but as Berry went on, she explained you must take a job that will offer you something new and will leave you with an extra skill you did not have going into the position.

Prior to stepping into the game operations realm, Berry took her first step into the football world when she was a recruiting assistant at Penn State University.

Growing up around Nittany Lion football her entire life, she knew the brand of the university’s football team. While in State College, PA, she challenged the recruitment staff to go after men with outstanding character.

“When we would go on home visits, I would make sure to pay attention,” Berry said. Berry wanted to be intentional with her tactics and believed the best players were those that were good people on and off the field.

Merchant-Rupani, Berry and Wirtz all used elements of their personal brand to succeed in their current spaces to get to their dream work destination. This message was passed on to the audience through painting their journey through experiences.

“We all know about Patrick Mahomes. There are other stories,” senior manager of NFL social marketing Jordan Dolbin said.

RELATED: Chiefs Super Bowl history

Dolbin called on storytellers to push their limits. She wanted to ensure she was challenging audience members to go beneath the surface of the performers with the best stat numbers.

She brought up a story she came across during her Super Bowl preparation that was a “where are they now’ approach to telling the stories of all the players that caught interceptions against Maholmes in high school.

“Now, that is the story I will remember when this is all over,” Dolbin said.

Cincinnati Bengals special teamer Trayveon Williams added his experience to the panel, emphasizing exploring his other interests outside of football. He also commended today’s players for the tenacity in their approach to leaving a legacy outside of football.

The panel agreed collectively their main reason for taking time away from all the Super Bowl work obligations and festivities was to provide the representation they did not see while carving out their career paths.

NBCU Academy will be virtually hosting the Next Level Summit on March 22, 2023.

Author’s Note: Alexis Davis is currently in her last semesters in Walter Cronkite’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. She received her bachelor’s from North Carolina A&T State University in multimedia journalism in May 2022. Davis is a featured writer for the MEAC conference. Davis also switches between play-by-play announcer, analyst and sideline reporter for the PAC-12 conference’s app. She also hosts a podcast focusing on international basketball players and their fashion experiences called What’s in Your Bag?