Patrick Mahomes has a hidden edge the Eagles can't stop for Super Bowl LIX

NFL fans got the matchup only Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles fans wanted to see in Super Bowl LIX. The last things NFL fans wanted to see were two teams that played each other only a couple of years ago and have both won Super Bowls recently. Alas, those are the cards that wound up getting dealt.

While the matchup wasn't what NFL fans wanted, Sunday's game should be a thriller, much like their first meeting in the Super Bowl. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Chiefs are 1.5-point favorites, showing just how close this game projects to be. The Chiefs are slight favorites, but it really can go either way on paper.

SI's Reed Wallach did a deeper dive into this game, though, and showed that Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have one particularly clear advantage that will be tough for the Eagles to overcome.

Eagles face seemingly impossible challenge of beating Patrick Mahomes in a close game

When Mahomes plays in a playoff game that has a spread of inside three points, he has gone undefeated in seven tries. That's right, Mahomes has won every single game that was expected to be within a field goal, including their previous Super Bowl matchup against the Eagles. The Eagles were 2.5-point favorites entering that game and Kansas City pulled it out by a field goal.

Mahomes is one of the best quarterbacks we've ever seen in any situation, but he seems to pick up his level of play when the stakes are highest, as evidenced by his 17-1 record in the playoffs, 3-1 record in the Super Bowl, and 7-0 record in games with spreads inside of three points. Mahomes seems to be even more locked in when the challenge is supposed to be tougher, and he steps his game up immensely in crunch time. If the game is close late in the fourth quarter, it feels as if Mahomes will do something to will his team to victory. There's a reason that the Chiefs are playing for a three-peat.

Philadelphia's talent cannot be overlooked. In fact, an argument can easily be made that the Eagles are the more talented all-around team than Kansas City. However, the Mahomes factor is too massive to ignore. He simply finds a way, no matter the competition. It would be foolish to count the Eagles out, but betting against Mahomes, especially in a game that projects to be close, sounds like a massive mistake.