Most did not recognize the magnitude of impact that would be brought on by the Eagles’ decision to sign Saquon Barkley this offseason. The former Giants star made the surprising decision to move across the NFC East and join his former rival and now he has his first chance at a Super Bowl in his first season with the team.
Barkley put together one of the most impressive seasons of all time behind a dominant Eagles offensive line. The Penn State product became one of nine running backs in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards and had a strong chance of breaking the all-time rushing record if the Eagles allowed him to play the final game of the season. Overall, he led the NFL with 2,005 rushing yards and was eighth in the league in rushing touchdowns in the regular season with 13. Barkley has shown no signs of slowing down and has rushed for 442 yards and five touchdowns through the opening three games of the playoffs.
There are nearly endless options for betting options for the Super Bowl on DraftKings Sportsbook. While it is worth exploring all the unique prop bets, I am sticking to the traditional outlook for this article and like Saquon Barkley to score the first touchdown in the Super Bowl. You can jump on the +425 odds for this on DraftKings Sportsbook. Barkley is the betting favorite for this and holds -195 odds of scoring an anytime touchdown.
You also can tail me in the DK Network betting group here.
Why Saquon Barkley will score the first Super Bowl touchdown:
It took just one carry for Saquon Barkley to score the first touchdown of the NFC Championship game as he dashed for 60 yards against a helpless-looking Commanders defense. Philadelphia’s offensive line paves the way for Barkley to get to the second level and the three-time Pro Bowler has the talent to make the rest happen from there.
Barkley tallied 15 total touchdowns this season and scored in eight of the 16 regular-season games. He has tallied five touchdowns so far in the playoffs, scoring in two of the three games.
The Eagles have scored first in all three playoff games this season. This is a refreshing change as the team struggled to score early in the games for a large part of the regular season. Philadelphia did not score on the first drive of the game until Week 16 and did not score a first-quarter touchdown until Week 9.
Even still, Barkley has scored the first touchdown in six games this season. Philadelphia is at its best when it can take the lead and control the clock. It was successful in that during the previous Super Bowl matchup with Jalen Hurts securing the opening score. While Kansas City’s slow starts were not as prevalent as the Eagles, it only scored first in 11 of its 19 games played this season.
First touchdowns are a high-variance bet, but Barkley has all the tools and the opportunity to make it happen. Jalen Hurts is a vulture near the goal line, adding 14 rushing touchdowns during the regular season and four already in the playoffs. He has scored the Eagles’ first touchdown in five games this season and the first touchdown of the game three times.
However, the versatile ways that Barkley can score give him the edge in this category. Despite the massive production, the Eagles have been conscious of preserving Barkley throughout the season by pulling him when games are out of reach and resting him during the final week of the season. Everything will be on the table with the Super Bowl on the line. Even with all the talent, Saquon Barkley is the tone-setter for the Eagles offense. He is the favorite for this bet for a reason and I still think the +425 odds are worth taking a chance on. Don’t expect it to be as easy as Barkley made it look against the Commanders in the NFC Championship game, but look for Barkley to make the most of his first Super Bowl appearance.
