Getty Tom Brady is going for his sixth Super Bowl ring.
The Eagles and Patriots square off in the 2018 Super Bowl tonight at 6:40 p.m. Eastern on NBC. For those looking for an extended preview of tonight’s game, NBC kicks off its Super Bowl pregame show at 1 p.m. Eastern. While the Super Bowl is technically listed at 6 p.m. Eastern, the kickoff is not scheduled until 6:40 p.m.
Here’s a rundown of the 2018 Super Bowl television coverage.
Teams: New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Date: Sunday, February 4, 2018
Kickoff Time: 6:40 p.m. Eastern
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV Channel: NBC
Radio: Westwood One Radio
Line: Patriots by 4.5 (Line is according to OddsShark and subject to change.)
Game Preview: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth will be announcing tonight’s Super Bowl matchup between the Eagles and Patriots. Michele Tafoya is the sideline reporter during tonight’s game. Pink will be singing the National Anthem, while Justin Timberlake headlines the halftime show.
According to Awful Announcing, NBC has more than five hours of pregame coverage planned with a number of analysts including Dan Patrick, Liam McHugh, Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, John Harbaugh, Mike Florio and Chris Simms.
As for the game itself, Tom Brady is going for his sixth Super Bowl ring. Entering tonight’s game Brady is tied with Charles Haley with five championships, and a win would give him sole possession of the NFL record. Bill Belichick is going for his sixth Super Bowl win as a head coach, and his eighth Super Bowl victory overall as Belichick won two rings as Giants defensive coordinator.
The Patriots have been favored in every game they have played this season, and the Super Bowl is no different. Philadelphia made the big game despite losing starting quarterback Carson Wentz at the end of the regular season. Aside from the Wentz injury, things have gone the Eagles way, including a mid-season trade with the Dolphins to acquire running back Jay Ajayi for pennies on the dollar. Nick Foles has been solid filling in for Wentz, allowing the Eagles to continue one of the best seasons in franchise history.
Unlike the Patriots, the Eagles have been an underdog in every playoff game despite being the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Foles and the Eagles face their toughest opponent this season, and do not have the Philadelphia home field advantage they had in their previous two postseason matchups.
Minneapolis has a high temperature of 6 degrees with a low of -1 for Super Bowl Sunday. Fortunately, U.S. Bank Stadium has a roof, so the players and fans will not be subjected to frigid temperatures during the actual game.
The Eagles are going for their first Super Bowl win in franchise history, while the Patriots are looking for their sixth title. Foles is coming off one of the best games of his career against the Vikings in the NFC Championship, and a similar outing against the Patriots gives Philadelphia a chance. However, the Eagles are facing arguably the best quarterback in NFL history. Tonight marks Brady’s eighth Super Bowl appearance giving New England the edge in the experience column. A win would give Brady and Belichick their second set of back-to-back titles.