MANO A MANO

The start of the new year means football season is coming to end. However, it can’t come to an end without the Super Bowl. This year’s game is known as Super Bowl LII. (If you’re anything like me and don’t understand Roman numerals, it means 52). It will be held at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota and will take place this Sunday, February 4. Tickets for the game can vary in price. StubHub has some cheaper tickets priced at $3,275, but the average ticket costs $5,682. The two teams that will face off in the Super Bowl are the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots. The Eagles are the National Football Conference (NFC) champions while the Patriots are the American Football Conference (AFC) champions. The Eagles have appeared in the Super Bowl twice already and are looking to make this game their first-ever win. The Patriots have won five Super Bowls (2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, and 2017).

Most sport critics are predicting that the Patriots will win. The ESPN Football Power Index predicts the Patriots have a 52.8% chance of winning while the Eagles have a 47.2% chance of winning. “Madden NFL 18” predicts the Patriots will win with a final score of 24-20. Madden NFL uses the EA Sports’ simulation where it’s computer versus computer equipped with a current roster and an All-Pro difficulty. Many predictions are along the same lines on the Madden prediction with the game having a very close final score. It doesn’t matter whether you’re pulling for the likely winner or the underdog, but it will definitely be a good game.