The Philadelphia Eagles defied the odds and pulled off an impressive victory over the Chiefs’ dynasty led by Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, just a few months ago. But with the new season only a couple of months away, most teams have already finalized their rosters, and speculation is heating up about who will reach Super Bowl 60.
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The Birds are no longer the underdogs — they’re the favorites to defend their title at Levi’s Stadium in California. Oddsmakers as per ESPN give the Eagles and the runner-up Chiefs the best chance to win it all, setting their odds at +600.
Right behind them are the Baltimore Ravens at +650, despite not making it to the AFC Championship Game last season after falling to the Bills. Interestingly, the Bills — who did make the AFC title game — have slightly worse odds at +700. And, the Detroit Lions round out the top five at +900.
While the odds are favorable for the Eagles, former cornerback Asante Samuel is already convinced that his old team will be back in the Super Bowl. The only question in his mind is: Who will they face?
On a recent episode of his podcast show, Samuel asked his guest to name the team they believed would meet the Eagles in the big game. Surprisingly, the guest didn’t go with the obvious pick — the Chiefs, who have reached five Super Bowls in six years. Instead, he confidently picked the Ravens. The reason? He’s a big fan of 2-time MVP Lamar Jackson and is rooting for him to finally get over the hump.
The guest expressed his excitement about a potential Eagles-Ravens matchup, calling it a must-watch showdown with massive entertainment value.
Asante felt the same way. He shared that such a showdown like this would generate serious excitement, given the fanbase sizes — especially Philly’s — and the star power on both rosters. He called it a “big market game” with “big-time individual matchups.”
Asante Samuel’s Super Bowl ticket hack
Given how expensive and scarce Super Bowl tickets are, Samuel also offered up a little-known player hack. He suggested Eagles players could sell the tickets they receive for family and friends. This is a hustle he admitted to doing himself, even while playing under the watchful eye of Bill Belichick.
“So, with me, if was playing for the Eagles and this happened and both these team made it the Super Bowl, I’m going to have 16 Super Bowl tickets. I’m probably going to sell them for an average of $12,000 per ticket and none of my family members are going to the game. That’s all I’m thinking about,” he said.
However, Samuel isn’t fully convinced the Ravens and Lamar Jackson will finally make it to the Super Bowl. He’s unsure whether this is truly the year for the 2-time MVP to break through.
Sure, the odds suggest an Eagles-Ravens matchup is possible — but the reality is far more complicated. The Ravens haven’t reached the Super Bowl since 2012, and Lamar Jackson has just three career playoff wins. The road to the big game runs through a loaded AFC.
Teams like the Chiefs and Bills are more than capable of ending any Baltimore playoff run. The Bengals could very well bounce back strong. And both the Steelers and a healthy Aaron Rodgers in New York deserve serious consideration too.
But the Ravens have to wait a bit to dream about a Super Bowl. Their first priority should be making it to the AFC Championship Game. And even that won’t be easy. Just surviving their own division will be a major challenge. But not impossible either.
