If the oddsmakers are correct, Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles is a toss-up which could go either way.

Kansas City is a slim 1.5-point favorite, suggesting that fans and bettors are torn over which team will hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the night.

Mahoning Valley high school football coaches are equally torn over the outcome.

Of the 20 area head football coaches polled, 11 favored the Chiefs while nine sided with the Eagles.

For those siding with Kansas City, it comes down to experience, coaching and the unwillingness to pick against Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

A handful of coaches — including Struthers’ John Pascarella — find themselves rooting for Philadelphia while siding with Kansas City.

“I almost want to kick myself for saying this, and I hope I’m wrong but I just have to believe that Kansas City is going to find a way to win,” Pascarella said. “I’m so over (Travis) Kelce, I’m so over the Taylor Swift saga. I was really rooting for Josh Allen and the Bills because they are easy to root for and I just wanted to see some new blood in the Super Bowl.

“It’s just difficult to go against the experience Kansas City brings to the table. How do you go against the best coach and the best quarterback in the league?”

Pascarella believes he is not alone when it comes to fans wanting to see a new king crowned in the NFL.

“I think most of America will be rooting for Philadelphia,” Pascarella said. “But all along I felt the winner of the Bills-Chiefs game was going to win it all. I’m a Browns fan, so I’ve been wrong before and I hope I’m wrong this time.”

In fact, new Liberty coach Dom Prologo is also siding with Kansas City, even though he’ll be rooting for Philadelphia. Prologo is quick to rattle off a list of superlatives which make the Eagles a worthy competitor.

He says he admires the way the Eagles’ offense “tells you they are going to run the ball down your throat, then they do it to perfection.” He believes the offensive line is “as good as any in the NFL” and that the defense is “championship material.”

Still, Prologo says he can’t ignore the “it factor” the Chiefs bring to the table.

“You’d have to be crazy to pick against Kansas City at this point,” Prologo said. “There’s something magical going on in Kansas City. They just get it done. They know how to win. They are guided by a man who belongs on the Mount Rushmore of coaches. Then you throw in (Chiefs defensive coordinator) Steve Spagnuolo, who is the best in the business.

“The Chiefs just have too many weapons on the field and too much experience on the sidelines. Philadelphia definitely belongs in the Super Bowl. They truly are a great team. But the experience gives Kansas City the edge.”

Howland coach Brian Jones echoed the comments made by Prologo, pointing out that Spagnuolo is on the cusp of winning his fifth Super Bowl ring as a defensive coordinator.

Jones says that he will be rooting for Philadelphia in large part because he is a big fan of Eagles’ running back Saquon Barkley. However, he believes coaching will ultimately decide Sunday’s outcome.

“The Kansas City defense always steps up in big games,” Jones said. “You have to give credit to the Kansas City coaching staff. There are always three or four plays a game on both offense and defense where they call just the right play.

“Philadelphia is a dynamic team. They can do a lot of things on both sides of the ball. They have a lot of weapons. But you just know Kansas City will be well-prepared for the moment.”

Poland head coach Tom Pavlansky says he wouldn’t be surprised to see a Philadelphia win, but he has to side with, “The best player in football (Mahomes) who always finds a way to get it done.”

Pavlansky pointed to Kansas City’s AFC title game win over Buffalo, in which the Chiefs needed a pair of first downs in the final two minutes to seal the win.

“Mahomes and the offense went out there and moved the ball and got those first downs like they were doing it in their sleep,” Pavlansky said. “On offense and defense, they just seem to have an answer for everything.

“They were in a lot of close games this year but they always seem to be in control of the situation. When you have the best player in football surrounded by talent and a great coaching staff, that’s a recipe for success.”

Warren G. Harding coach Matt Richardson acknowledges Kansas City as “a well-oiled machine” and says that opponents have to play a near-perfect game to beat the Chiefs. However, he is confident Philadelphia has the manpower to do just that.

“The Eagles have the formula to beat Kansas City, they have a dominant running game that will shorten the game and keep the Kansas City offense off the field,” Richardson said. “Barkley is a true MVP. He totally changed the dynamic of that team.

“Any team has to have a little bit of luck and they have to play mistake-free football to beat Kansas City. But I really think Philadelphia is built for this moment. They have the right weapon in the running game. They have the talent. They match up well against the Chiefs.”

The Eagles’ running game — and the fact that the Chiefs are due for a letdown — are the reason Ursuline coach Dan Reardon is siding with Philadelphia.

Reardon says he just has a “gut feeling” that it’s Philadelphia’s moment to rise to the top. But beyond his hunch, Reardon is confident the Eagles’ offensive and defensive lines can carry the Eagles to a victory.

“When you can control the line of scrimmage on both sides that usually leads to success,” Reardon said. “Philadelphia has a phenomenal running game, and that’s always a huge advantage in big games.

“I’m not going to be at all surprised if Kansas City wins, they are on one of the greatest runs in football history. I just like how the Philadelphia team is built.”

Though new Jackson-Milton coach Brian Shaner is often known for his love of a wide-open offensive attack, he is siding with Philadelphia, noting that the game “will be won in the trenches.”

Shaner believes Kansas City has “the best player in the universe” in Mahomes, but that will be offset by Philadelphia’s overall talent.

“Overall, I just think that Philadelphia has the better roster, top-to-bottom they are the better team,” Shaner said. “The offensive line and the defensive line are both amazing. They control the game on both sides. Then you throw in the running of Saquon and the weapons they have at wide receiver, and they have the manpower to win it all.”

Like his peers, McDonald coach Dan Williams anticipates a close game which could go either way. He says the only surprise would be a lopsided win by either team.

Yet like Shaner, Williams gives Philadelphia the slight edge in overall talent.

“The offense, the defense and the special teams are all phenomenal,” Williams said. “I just feel like Philadelphia is an overall more balanced and talented team. They can find ways to win in all parts of the game. Plus, they have an exceptional running back and if Kansas City has one weakness it’s their run defense.”

Williams, a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, saw both the Chiefs and Eagles defeat his favorite team during the regular season.

“You could clearly see that both of these teams are elite, they both deserve to be here,” Williams said. “Philadelphia dominated Pittsburgh from start to finish. I didn’t realize just how good Philadelphia’s defense is, and I think that could be the difference in this game.”

Sunday’s game is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m.