Super Bowl Sunday is here. In a few short hours, the Philadelphia Eagles will look for some title-game revenge on Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
The Patriots might have won Super Bowl XXXIX by a score of just 24-21, but the game wasn't really that close. On Sunday, with the Lombardi Trophy again on the line, they'll face off beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.
After opening as 5.5-point favorites (and some sportsbooks had them as high as 6) following Conference Championship Sunday, the Patriots are no longer quite that revered by Vegas books. Some heavy action on the Eagles shifted the line to 4.5 by late last week, and by Monday, some Vegas sportsbooks started offering Patriots -4. But that's where it has stayed ever since.
Here's everything you need to know for the 2018 Super Bowl, including who will be performing at halftime and who will be singing the national anthem as well as how to watch the big game.
So which side of the Super Bowl line do you need to be all over? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of Patriots-Eagles you need to jump on, plus what X-factor determines the outcome, all from a Vegas legend who's 9-3 on Eagles' games.
How to Watch Super Bowl LII
Date: Feb. 4, 2018
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
TV: NBC (check local listings)
Stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Announcers: Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter)
Who will sing the national anthem?
Pop singer Pink will be in charge of either wrecking or helping your over/under anthem prop bets.
Ummm. I’m singing the national anthem and the EAGLES ARE PLAYING?!?!?! IS THIS FOR REAL?!?!?!THATS WHASSUP!!!!!!!! Shtjtkd widnamc ckamcnsnzncbx!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wooohooooooooooooioooooooooooooooooooooooooiiiiiiooooooooooo — P!nk (@Pink) January 22, 2018
Who will perform at halftime?
Justin Timberlake will handle Super Bowl LII halftime duties! The former NSYNC star, who has morphed into one of the most diverse and dynamic performers in music and movies, will be looking to end up somewhere high on this list. Timberlake hasn't been on the stage for the Super Bowl since his famous wardrobe malfunction with Janet Jackson after the 2003 season. More than a decade later, he returns.
"America the Beautiful''
Leslie Odom Jr., who won a best actor Tony Award in 2016 for originating the role of Aaron Burr in "Hamilton'' will perform the song at Super Bowl LII.
NFL Playoff Schedule
Conference championship games
Sunday, Jan 21
AFC: Patriots 24, Jaguars 20
NFC: Eagles 38, Vikings 7
Divisional round
Saturday, Jan. 13
Patriots 35, Titans 14
Eagles 15, Falcons 10
Sunday, Jan. 14
Jaguars 45, Steelers 42
Vikings 29, Saints 24
Wild-card round
Saturday, Jan. 6
Titans 22, Chiefs 21
Falcons 26, Rams 13
Sunday, Jan. 7
Jaguars 10, Bills 3
Saints 31, Panthers 26
Incredibly, Tom Brady has made the Super Bowl in half of his 16 seasons (not counting the season lost to injury and his rookie year when he was on the bench). He has won five of them, and will go for a sixth in Super Bowl LII on Sunday in Minneapolis.
Tom Brady has accomplished just about everything worth accomplishing in his career. But on Sunday, he'll have the chance to do something no quarterback has ever done in the history of the league: win the Lombardi Trophy and lead the NFL in passing yards in the same season.
If he ever retires, Brady, 40, is going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and might need his own wing in Canton, yet he's never done what he might do on Sunday.
That's what's on the line in Minneapolis if the Patriots beat the Eagles. I mean, just think about that for a second: Not once have we ever seen a quarterback lead the NFL in passing yards and win the Super Bowl.
So which side of the Super Bowl line do you need to be all over? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of Patriots-Eagles you need to jump on, plus what X-factor determines the outcome, all from a Vegas legend who's 9-3 on Eagles' games.
With prolific passers like Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Brady dominating the NFL over the past 15 years, it seems almost impossible that none of them have led the league in passing the same year they won the Super Bowl, but it's the truth.
Although Peyton Manning led the league in passing yards a total of three times, he didn't lead the league in 2006 (Brees led the league with 4,418 yards) or 2015 (Brees led the league with 4,870), the two seasons where he went on to win the Super Bowl.
Speaking of Brees, although he's led the league in passing a total of seven times, he didn't lead the league in passing in 2009 when the Saints won the Super Bowl. By they way, if you need some bar trivia for this weekend, ask your friends if they know who led the NFL in passing in 2009 and it will likely stump them for hours (Answer: Matt Schaub).
It has almost always been a bad thing for teams trying to get to the Super Bowl to have a pass-heavy offense. The moral of the story here is that defense wins championships or it might be that you have a much better chance to win the Super Bowl if you have a balanced offense.
The NFL's passing leader has only made it to the big game a total of five times since 1966, and they're 0-5. That list of losing quarterbacks includes Brady, who led the NFL in passing yards in 2007, when the Patriots went 16-0, but ended up losing to the Giants 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.
Tom Brady led the NFL with 4,577 passing yards this season
No player to lead the NFL in pass yards has ever won the Super Bowl in that season (0-5 record)
Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Rich Gannon, Kurt Warner & Dan Marino all lost in the Super Bowl after leading NFL in pass yards pic.twitter.com/l2Nx2fmRWK — NFL Research (@NFLResearch) January 24, 2018
For the 2017 season, Brady led the NFL in passing with 4,577 yards. This year actually marked the third time that Brady has led the NFL in passing. Besides 2007 and 2017, the only other time came in 2005 and the Patriots didn't even make it to the AFC title game that year.
If the Patriots do win the Super Bowl, the other jinx that Brady could end this year is the MVP jinx. Since 2000, zero MVP winners who have gone on to win the Super Bowl. Although we don't yet know if Brady will be named NFL MVP, we will know by Super Bowl Sunday because the award is handed out the night before the game.
For more Super Bowl LII coverage, be sure to click here and check out Super Bowl page here at CBSSports.com. Super Bowl LII kicks off on Feb. 4 and will be televised by NBC.
The 2018 NFL playoffs have been full of surprises, though that may be difficult to believe after the two No. 1 seeds made it to Minnesota to battle for the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Want proof? The Patriots and their aura of invincibility in the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era were, of course, heavily favored to win the AFC Championship game over the Jaguars just two weeks ago, yet it took another Brady-led late rally to avoid an upset. Later that same day, in a game the Vikings were supposed to win (if you trust the oddsmakers), the underdog Eagles instead crushed Minnesota in the NFC Championship game.
So here we are, with a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX from 13 years ago, a game in which the Patriots beat the Eagles, 24-21. Oddsmakers aren't expecting this year's Super Bowl to be as close as that one as the Patriots opened as a 5.5 point favorite, although that line shrunk to 4.5 as of Monday, Jan. 29 and stayed there in the week leading up to the game.
For the Eagles, this is their third trip to the Super Bowl and they're still looking for their first win. Besides their Super Bowl XXXIX loss to the Patriots, the Eagles also lost to the Raiders 27-10 in Super Bowl XV.
So which side of the Super Bowl line do you need to be all over? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of Patriots-Eagles you need to jump on, plus what X-factor determines the outcome, all from a Vegas legend who's 9-3 on Eagles' games.
When is the Super Bowl?
Super Bowl LII will be held on Sunday, Feb. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
NFL owners surprisingly awarded the game to Minneapolis after holding a secret ballot in May 2014. The northern city won the Super Bowl bid by beating out New Orleans and Indianapolis. This year's game will mark the sixth time in NFL history that the Super Bowl has been played in a cold-weather city and the first time since Super Bowl XLVIII was played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
This game will mark the second time that the Super Bowl has been held in Minnesota. Back in January 1992, the Redskins blew out the Bills 37-24 in Super Bowl XXVI.
What time does the Super Bowl start?
The kickoff for Super Bowl LII is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.
How can I watch the Super Bowl?
NBC will broadcast this year's Super Bowl, with Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth on the call and Michele Tafoya reporting from the sidelines. You'll also be able to stream the game on NBC Sports Live.
Who will perform the Super Bowl halftime show?
Justin Timberlake is scheduled to play at halftime of the Super Bowl and if his last Super Bowl performance was any indication, things could get kind of crazy. Back in February 2004, Timberlake and Janet Jackson gave us a wardrobe malfunction that quickly became one of the most unforgettable moments in Super Bowl history. Sports Illustrated re-visited the malfunction back in 2016, and it's definitely worth a read if you want to re-live the controversy. Of course, if you're expecting to see a wardrobe malfunction this year, don't get your hopes up. Timberlake has already said it's not going to happen.
Coincidentally, the Patriots were also playing the last time Timberlake served as the halftime show. Back in February 2004, New England beat Carolina 32-29 in a game that became kind of an afterthought following the wardrobe malfunction.
Justin Timberlake will headline this year’s Super Bowl half-time show, marking the singer’s second time playing the prestigious slot.
Reports circulated beforehand that Timberlake’s show would feature a hologram of Prince, who famously played the Super Bowl in 2007.
However, a quick backlash ensued, many fans expressing dismay that the deceased singer and guitarist’s image would be used.
Super Bowl 52 - will Tom Brady's New England Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles?
One of those was, Sheila E, who served as Prince’s drummer on multiple occasions. “Prince told me don’t ever let anyone do a hologram of me,” she wrote. “Not cool if this happens!”
Following that Tweet, the musician apparently spoke to Timberlake, who clarified that the Prince hologram would not be used during the half-time show.
"Family, I spoke with Justin tonight and he shared heartfelt words of respect for Prince and the Purple fans," she wrote. "I look forward to seeing what I’m sure is going to be a spectacular halftime show. There is no hologram."
Family, I spoke w/Justin 2nite and he shared heartfelt words of respect for Prince & the Purple fans. I look 4wrd 2 seeing what I’m sure is going 2 be a spectacular halftime show. There is no hologram. pic.twitter.com/mhVXBfBa1B — SheilaEdrummer (@SheilaEdrummer) 4 February 2018
NME noted an interview with Prince from 1998, in which the singer called performing with a hologram “the most demonic thing imaginable,” adding: “If I was meant to jam with Duke Ellington, we would have lived in the same age. That whole virtual reality thing… it really is demonic. And I am not a demon.
Prince - A Life in Pictures
10 show all Prince - A Life in Pictures
1/10 Prince Rogers Nelson, known by his mononym Prince, who has died at the age of 57 at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota PA
2/10 Prince performs in concert at Riverfront Coliseum during his Purple Rain Tour in Cincinnati, Ohio, on January 22nd, 1985 AP
3/10 US singer and musician Prince performing on stage at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris on June 30th 2011 AFP / Getty
4/10 US musician Prince performing on the Stravinski Hall stage during the 47th Montreux Jazz Festival, in Montreux, Switzerland on 21 April, 2013 EPA
5/10 Prince performs during the 'Pepsi Halftime Show' at Super Bowl XLI between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears on February 4, 2007 2007 Getty Images
6/10 Prince plays during a press conference at the Miami Beach Convention Center, February 1st, 2007 AP
7/10 Prince performs during the second day of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California on April 26th 2008 AP
8/10 Prince performs before a sold-out audience, in Houston on January 11th 1985 AP
9/10 Musician Prince gestures on stage during the Apollo Theatre's 75th anniversary gala in New York, June 8, 2009 Reuters
10/10 Prince Rogers Nelson, known by his mononym Prince, who has died at the age of 57 at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota PA
“Also, what they did with that Beatles song [“Free As a Bird”], manipulating John Lennon’s voice to have him singing from across the grave… that’ll never happen to me. To prevent that kind of thing from happening is another reason why I want artistic control.”
During his lifetime, Prince was particularly controlling over where his music appeared digitally, for many years having no songs on streaming services, and nothing on YouTube.
Super Bowl 2018: Justin Timberlake rules out Janet Jackson appearance
Meanwhile, Janet Jackson has confirmed she will not perform the SuperBowl with Timberlake, despite rumours they may return together (despite an infamous exposing incident).
