Leading up to the Super Bowl, much of the talk has been about the aerial attacks for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. Hey, that’s understandable, but the ground games will be huge for both teams. Entering the monster showdown, Miles Sanders, favored to rush for the most yards at Super Bowl 57, isn’t a surprise. How many hashes will the speedster finish with?
• Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl
• Sunday, February 12th at 6:30 p.m. ET
• State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
It goes without saying, but Miles Sanders will be a focal point for the Eagle’s offense going up against the Chiefs. However, things aren’t going to be easy for him, as the Kansas City defensive line has been lights out throughout the year. Whenever both Frank Clark and Chris Jones are on the field together, they’re no question a big problem for opposing offensive lines.
It’s going to be on the guys up front for the Eagles to try and open up some big holes for Sanders, Jalen Hurts, and others. This includes center Jason Kelce and offensive tackle Lane Johnson. Throughout the year, Sanders has shown flashes of being an incredible runner, but at the same time, fumbles have been an issue. In the Super Bowl, he’s motivated to record a great game.
| Super Bowl receiving odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanders over | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| Sanders under | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| Hurts over | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| Pacheco over | -115 | -115 | -115 |
“I had to get my respect, and I had to earn it,” Sanders said on his big showing and helping Philly get to the Super Bowl. “I demanded it this year. That was one of my main, silent goals that I didn’t want to tell anybody about, but I wanted to demand respect and do whatever I could to help this team to the Super Bowl. I promise that when I first got drafted, and we are here now.”
According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the over/under for Sanders’ rushing yards in the Super Bowl has been set at 57.5 yards. Both the over and under hold -115 NFL betting odds. Sanders will be relied upon heavily with the Lombardi Trophy on the line, which is why we think he’ll go for at least 60 yards. The cover for his rushing yards is our pick in this case.
Once these two teams face off, you better believe that Jalen Hurts will also look to take off and run. One of the more electric dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL, Hurts has some fantastic wheels, and he’s been able to hurt opposing defenses quite a bit. He posted a rushing touchdown in the NFC Championship Game against the 49ers. Between the regular season and the playoffs, Hurts has rushed for 17 touchdowns.
Against a questionable Chiefs secondary, Hurts will surely look to throw the ball quite a bit. However, the Chiefs also like bringing up pressure from the edges, which could lead to Hurts taking off and running on multiple occasions. This is what makes him such a special player – even when the pocket collapses on him, Hurts can sneak past would-be tacklers and break free for strong runs.
The Eagles will surely focus the rushing attack with Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, and Boston Scott, but Hurts is also going to look to make an impact there. Per the oddsmakers, Hurts’ over/under for rushing yards has been placed at 48.5, with -115 Super Bowl betting odds. The Chiefs will hope to contain him, but we don’t think they’ll be able to get that done. We’re going with the over as our pick.
Meanwhile, for the AFC side, Isiah Pacheco is ready to run wild for the Chiefs. It has been a year for the rookie out of Rutgers, as he has stepped in and played outstanding ball on offense for Kansas City. He has been a big help for Patrick Mahomes, especially with Clyde Edwards-Helaire being out of action due to his injury.
Although the Chiefs rushing attack isn’t going to turn a lot of heads, Pacheco has answered the call time and time again late in the season. He may not be the biggest RB, but he runs ferocity and is also tough to bring down. Just ask the Cincinnati Bengals about that, as Pacheco showcased his strong running more than once in the AFC Championship Game.
Leading up to the Super Bowl, Pacheco’s over/under for rushing yards is being placed at 48.5. While Mahomes should flirt with around 300 yards in the air, someone must step up to get the rushing attack going. We think that Pacheco will be tasked with doing that, which is why we’re picking him over for rushing yardage against the Eagles.
