Seahawks or Patriots? Expert Super Bowl 60 predictions and make your pick

The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will fight it out in Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara, but who will walk away with the Lombardi Trophy.

Sam Darnold can complete the ultimate redemption story if he guides the Seahawks to glory, and against the team he was famously “seeing ghosts” against during his struggles at the New York Jets.

Drake Maye can become the youngest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl if he leads the Patriots to a record seventh ring – defeat though will leave them with the most losses ever in the NFL’s big game.

So who will win? We’ve drafted in a panel of experts from our BBC show The Whole 10 Yards – presenter Hugh Ferris and analysts Phoebe Schecter and Phil McGeoghan to have their say.

We’ve also got Radio 5 Live presenters Mike White and Rob Stanton along with BBC Sport journalists Paul Higham and Ben Collins.

Who will win Super Bowl 60?

Who will win the Super Bowl? Our experts pick between the Seahawks and Patriots [Getty Images]

Hugh Ferris

Prediction: Seahawks 28-24 Patriots

Predicting who is going to win the Super Bowl should be an exercise of head over heart, and yet the build-up tends to be dominated by narratives, not number-crunching. Well, I’m falling for it. The redemption story of Sam Darnold, plus the opportunity for the Seahawks to punch it in a little more successfully than they did against the same opponents at the end of Super Bowl XLIX is too good to ignore.

Despite Seattle’s number one defence, it’s been their offence that has carried them through the close games in recent weeks, and Darnold’s steady performance against the Rams’ pass rush in the NFC title game (having struggled against the same team and players in the play-offs a year ago with the Vikings) makes me think he’ll handle the Patriots, and the occasion. He might be seeing glory instead of ghosts this time.

MVP: Sam Darnold

If Seattle win with any offence whatsoever tell me a voter who won’t lean into the idea of Darnold completing one of the great comebacks the NFL has ever seen, from draft bust to Super Bowl MVP.

Phoebe Schecter

Prediction: Seahawks 28-7 Patriots

This Seahawks defence has a lot to it and it feels like we haven’t seen the best of Drake Maye in a lot of ways during the past two games. But you can see the attitude of this Seattle defence, they are ears back, aggressive, with great fundamentals and they take such pride in the little details.

Phil McGeoghan

Prediction: Seahawks 30-23 Patriots

You just don’t understand the physicality that you’re about to see from the Seahawks on Sunday. You know, I’m just telling you right now, it might not be close, right? This team is going to come out. We’re going to be downhill running duo schemes inside zones. They’re going to be going to take a deep shots down to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. But I love the tight-ends, what they’re doing. I love the scheme. I love the continuity. But really the way Kenneth Walker’s running with the football, he can catch fire in a heartbeat.

Rob Staton

Prediction: Seahawks 28-20 New England

The Seahawks have been the most complete team this season and when one unit struggles, such as the defence in the NFC Championship, the offence tends to pick it up (and vice versa). They’ve proven they can outlast the better teams, including the Rams (twice), 49ers (twice), Jaguars, Texans and others.

The Patriots are brilliantly led by Mike Vrabel, their defence grew as the season went along and in Drake Maye they have an X-factor at quarterback. If the Seahawks don’t get in their own way and avoid turnovers, they might just be too strong.

MVP: Sam Darnold

I’ve gone for Darnold as MVP. Vrabel will likely dip into the Bill Belichick playbook to try and take away the main offensive threat, which is Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Darnold could look to use running back Kenneth Walker in the passing game, Rashid Shaheed downfield and expect Cooper Kupp to make a few plays. Darnold also had his best game of the season against the Rams to get his team to the Super Bowl. If he doesn’t turn the ball over the Seahawks have a great chance to complete a glorious season with a championship.

Mike White

Prediction: Seahawks 27-14 Patriots

We all love a good revenge game but this isn’t Bill Belichick v Pete Carroll, Tom Brady v Russell Wilson or ‘Beast Mode’ v baffling goal-line playcalling and it’s not the 2014 season anymore. What it is though is a redemption story for Sam Darnold.

Perhaps his autobiography will be ‘From Ghosts to Glory’ after his infamous “I’m seeing ghosts” sideline comment in 2019 meeting (against the Patriots of all teams).

Having made it this far, it will haunt him forever if they don’t finish the job. That said, I think Darnold exorcises a few demons by taking home the Lombardi Trophy.

MVP: Sam Darnold

I was tempted to go for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and I think he could still get it but for JSN to have a big night, law of averages suggests Darnold will have played a significant role in that happening so I’ll plump for the much more standard QB pick.

Paul Higham

Prediction Seahawks 17-20 Patriots

Seattle have lost three games this season by a combined nine points, but somebody’s got to back the Patriots haven’t they? And underdogs have won four of the last five Super Bowls.

I don’t think they can win a shootout but I’m not expecting one with these two defences – I’d like them to strike first though as Seattle are 11-0 this season when the score first.

Listen, a dominant Seahawks win wouldn’t surprise me, but I’ve just got a feeling Vrabel and Josh McDaniels with all their experience can pull something out of the bag.

The Pats are 12-0 and allowing just 14.5 points a game when defensive wrecking ball Milton Williams and shutdown corner Christian Gonzalez are on the field together, and they’ll both play on Sunday.

And if it’s close going down the stretch then it only takes one play. Give me the Pats in a nailbiter.

MVP: Milton Williams

Let’s face it, it’s a quarterback award isn’t it, but since I’m backing a low-scoring upset win I’ll go for just the 10th defender to win the MVP. Von Miller was the last, in this very same stadium, wearing all white as well! Aside from the omens, Williams did have a couple of sacks and a forced fumble and recovery on Patrick Mahomes for the Eagles last year and something similar in a tight contest could be a difference maker.

Ben Collins

Prediction Seahawks 24-13 Patriots

Seattle’s awesome defence, known as the Dark Side, has been the main topic of discussion during Super Bowl week. Drake Maye has shown the ability to scramble and escape the pressure but I think the Seahawks will bring too much heat and stifle the Patriots quarterback.

He has already taken the second-most sacks in a single post-season (15) and I reckon Seattle will force him past Joe Burrow’s record tally of 19.

New England’s defence isn’t too shabby either so I expect it to be a tight, low-scoring affair before Seattle go clear late in the third quarter or early in the fourth to clinch it.

MVP: Leonard Williams

Some 17 Seattle players registered at least half a sack this season, with their interior defence particularly aggressive. Tackle Leonard Williams has registered eight sacks and 33 quarterback pressures so I’m backing the 13-year veteran to emerge from the Dark Side and become a rare defensive MVP.