Chiefs (17-2) vs. Eagles (17-3) 5:30 p.m. CST Sunday, Fox | BetMGM NFL odds: Chiefs by 1½ | Against the spread: Chiefs 9-10; Eagles 13-7

Chiefs player to watch: QB Patrick Mahomes may have gotten off to a pedestrian start to the season, but he finished with a flourish, throwing 13 touchdown passes without an interception since the Chiefs’ Week 11 loss to the Bills. He threw for 177 yards and a score against the Texans in the divisional round and 245 yards and a TD in avenging that loss to the Bills in the AFC championship game. Mahomes has thrown for 1,071 yards and seven TDs in his four previous Super Bowls, and needs two TD passes to tie Terry Bradshaw for third most and 58 yards to tie John Elway for fourth most in NFL playoff history.

Eagles player to watch: RB Saquon Barkley had a franchise-record 2,005 yards rushing yards in the regular season, just 101 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season NFL record. He has been even better in the playoffs, averaging 147.3 yards through three games with five TDs on just 66 attempts. He needs 30 yards rushing to break the NFL single-season record, including the playoffs, that Terrell Davis (2,476) set in the 1998 season.

Key matchup: The Chiefs’ defensive line against the Eagles’ offensive line. Defensive tackles Chris Jones and Tershawn Wharton along with defensive ends George Karlaftis and Mike Danna will be counted upon to not only slow down Barkley, but put pressure on Eagles QB Jalen Hurts in the passing game. And when the Eagles get into third- and fourth-and-short, those big fellas will be tasked with stopping the infamous “tush push.”

Series notes: The Chiefs are going for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title by bookending a win over 49ers with victories over the Eagles. Two years ago, the Chiefs rallied for a 38-35 victory at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. This is only the second time two teams have met in the Super Bowl twice in a three-year window following the Bills and Cowboys, who met after the 1992 and ’93 seasons. The Eagles did face the Chicago Cardinals for the NFL title after the 1947 and ’48 seasons.

Stats and stuff: The Chiefs are the first team to play in the Super Bowl five times in a six-year span. They’re going for a record third straight Lombardi Trophy and fifth overall. ... The Chiefs are the fourth team to appear in three straight Super Bowls after the Dolphins (1971-73), Bills (1990-93) and Patriots (2016-18). ... The Eagles ran for a franchise-record 3,048 yards this season, tied for the sixth most in NFL history. The Eagles are the second team in NFL history with at least 3,000 yards and 25 or more TDs rushing.

The pick: The Eagles didn’t have Barkley when they faced the Chiefs two years ago. He joined them in free agency this season and is on the verge of history. Pro Picks predicted the Eagles to beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl before the season so we’re sticking with it. EAGLES 31-30

— Rob Maaddi, Associated Press