The NFL is back and in week 2 we get an early rematch of the 2025 Super Bowl as reigning champions Philadelphia Eagles travel to Missouri to take on the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Eagles started the season in ideal fashion with a hard-fought win over the Dallas Cowboys, while the Chiefs started the season with a shock defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil.
Both teams will be desperate for a win in this game, and we’ll break down the fixture with our best free NFL betting picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the field.
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The Chiefs responded to their failed three-peat attempt by bringing in the likes of Jaylon Moore, Elijah Mitchell, Robert Rochell as they looked to replace players like DeAndre Hopkins and Carson Wentz.
With Andy Reid leading the team into his 13th season in charge, pre-season couldn’t have gone any worse.
The Chiefs first took on the Arizona Cardinals at the State Farm Arena and were defeated 17-20, before taking on the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field where they were thrashed 33-16. Their third and final pre-season game saw them take on the Chicago Bears and despite scoring 27 points, they were still beaten.
After heading into the season on the back of four straight losses, including the Super Bowl, it’s not a surprise that the Chiefs looked a shell of themselves and lost the opener to the Chargers out in Sao Paolo.
Star wide receiver Xavier Worthy was forced off with an injury after a collision with Travis Kelce and that contributed to a sluggish performance as they failed to come from behind and lost 21-27. It’s the second time in three seasons they have lost their opening game, and that was the first time since 2021 that they have been beaten by the Chargers.
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The Super Bowl champions entered their first season since 2009 without Brandon Graham following his retirement in the summer, while they also have a new offensive coordinator for the fourth consecutive season after Kellen Moore took over as head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
The Eagles’ pre-season was strong however, as they opened up with an impressive 34-27 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at the Lincoln Financial Field. Their second pre-season clash saw them host the Cleveland Browns, but this time they fell to a disappointing 13-22 defeat, before a 19-17 win over the New York Jets in their final warm-up game at MetLife Stadium.
That set them up for their opening game of the season where they hosted the Cowboys and claimed a 24-20 victory in a hard-fought game. It didn’t come without controversy though, as Jalen Carter was ejected just six seconds into the game for spitting at Dak Prescott.
The Eagles turned in a sensational defensive display in the second half as they prevented Dallas from scoring a single point, as they moved to 1-0.
In a game between two teams considered to be among the favorites to reach the Super Bowl once again in February 2026, it was an interesting start to the season for them both.
Kansas City’s defeat was a surprise to most neutral fans, while the Eagles claimed a win but failed to cover the spread against the Cowboys as they prioritised a rock solid defensive display over scoring points.
The Chiefs come into this game with a home-field advantage, extra time to prepare and revenge fresh on their mind following defeat at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans back in February. But their performance in Brazil left a lot to be desired and has left plenty of questions unanswered.
Patrick Mahomes and co. struggled to generate a pass rush against L.A., while quarterback Justin Herbert picked apart their secondary. If he can do it, then imagie what Jalen Hurts will be able to do if he’s on song.
Obviously Mahomes is capable of creating something from nothing, but the rest of the offensive line didn’t look up to par or on the same page as him. It will likely look even worse when you consider Worthy will almost certainly miss the game through injury, while Rashee Rice is suspended for the first six games of the season.
The Eagles on the other hand have proven they can lock down an underperforming offense if they need to, but also have shown that they know how to score points on a consistent basis. This game is essentially a pick’em, and there is great value on getting the defending champions at -116 on the moneyline.
But considering the absences that Kansas have in this game, and the fact they were beaten fairly comfortably in Week 1, there is better value in taking Philadelphia on the spread at -1 to take a win with the smallest of cushions.
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About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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