Super Bowl LIX is expected to come right down to the wire. The Kansas City Chiefs are favored by one point over the Philadelphia Eagles in what's expected to be an epic showdown for the Lombardi Trophy. 

What's clear is whoever is crowned NFL champion will need someone to step up: A Super Bowl MVP.

Earlier in the week, our staff shared its final score predictions ahead of the big game. Now, they complement those with their picks for who will wind up as MVP of the big game. 

Kareem Hunt, Chiefs RB (1)

Charles Goldman: I’ll go a little against the grain with my MVP prediction here. If it’s not Patrick Mahomes or Travis Kelce, it’ll be Kareem Hunt, and that’s no slight to the defense. The Eagles have one of the top passing defenses in the league, but they’re only in the top 10 in rushing defense. They also are missing a starting linebacker in Nakobe Dean, which could further weaken the defense against the run. Hunt is a player with a lot of pent-up emotion surrounding this game. It wasn’t long ago that we saw him, a member of the Cleveland Browns, pulled over on the side of the highway, telling a police officer that he was supposed to be playing in the Super Bowl with the Chiefs. He missed all of the team’s success leading up to this moment and now has a shot at bringing things full circle through hard work and sheer willpower.

Saquon Barkley, Eagles RB (4)

Kelsey Kramer: The last running back to win Super Bowl MVP was Terrell Davis back in 1997. Philadelphia Eagles' running back Saquon Barkley is already just 30 yards away from breaking Davis' combined regular and post-season rushing yards record. However, as the Eagles' driving force on offense, Barkley is going to put up a lot more than 30 yards on Super Bowl Sunday. He hasn't missed a beat all season and it's hard to believe he would let up against the Kansas City Chiefs. It also happens to be his 28th birthday on Feb. 9 — this can only mean that fate is on his side.

Ian Valentino: The MVP will come from the winning team, and I suspect the Philadelphia Eagles have too much of an advantage in the trenches for Kansas City to win a third-straight title. Considering that's how I think this plays out, Saquon Barkley has to be the focal point of the Eagles' attack. We saw Buffalo shred Kansas City for big gains with James Cook before the offense forgot they could continue to feed their tailback. Philadelphia won't make that same mistake, and Barkley's claim to an MVP would cap off a remarkable season where one of the continuing themes is that the Eagles were fully bought into their ground-and-pound

Jon Helmkamp: What Saquon Barkley has been able to do since joining the Philadelphia Eagles has been nothing short of extraordinary. It’s been years since we’ve seen Barkley looked this good, but nobody has ever doubted his talent. Dating back to his days at Penn State, Barkley has been dripping with the talent to become a future Hall of Famer. Now on a team capable of winning, Barkley is flourishing. A running back hasn’t been named the Super Bowl MVP since 1998, but Barkley has the talent and opportunity to absolutely dominate this game. James Cook and the Bills proved that the ground game can get working against the Chiefs, and Barkley is fresh off an NFC Championship Game that saw him take his first touch for a 60-yard touchdown that put the Eagles up, and they would never look back, posting 55 points on the Commanders. Barkley would need a huge performance, of the 150+ yard, 2+ touchdown variety, but I firmly believe that’s reasonably within the range of outcomes for Barkley on the biggest stage he’s ever been on.

Tyler Forness: (Editor's note: Forness picked the Chiefs to win in our predictions post) The Super Bowl MVP has gone to a player on the winning team in every instance but one: Super Bowl V when Dallas Cowboys LB Chuck Howley won the award in a 16-13 loss to the Baltimore Colts. This could be the second instance, as Saquon Barkley is the engine that keeps this Eagles team running. If the Eagles win, it'll be on the back of Barkely. If it's close, he could still win the award.

Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs QB (6) 

Wendell Ferreira: I know, I know, it's the most boring option ever. But that's just the reality of the NFL. I expect the Kansas City Chiefs to win the game, and if they do, it will be truly hard to take this award away from Mahomes. He is the most valuable player in the NFL (not this season, but in general), and he has the ability to play his best when the most important games are on the line. Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, or George Karlaftis could be viable options too for the Chiefs. Jalen Hurts, Jalen Carter, and AJ Brown would be good ones for the Eagles. But Mahomes winning it to stay only one behind Tom Brady would be pretty impressive, even if unsurprising.

Sophie Weller: Patrick Mahomes is the type of player who can completely alter a game by himself. And if Kansas City wants to come out on top against the Philadelphia Eagles, then they are going to need Mahomes to be at his best. Expect the quarterback to extend plays with his legs, while also completely throws that seem impossible. That’s just what he does. And because of that, if the Chiefs are the Super Bowl champions, it seems almost too easy to predict that Mahomes will be named the MVP.

Nicholas McGee: It's the safe pick, it's the boring pick, but with the Chiefs' history of Super Bowls coming down to a late game-winning drive, it seems impossible to envision a scenario in which they prevail in a close game and Mahomes is not the MVP. A fourth Super Bowl MVP to break a tie with Joe Montana and move one behind Tom Brady's all-time record of five.

Justin Churchill: I mean, come on now, it's Patrick Mahomes, and somehow he will lead the team down the field to win the game within the last few minutes, after trailing by double-digit points. He will end up doing something spectacular and because he is the quarterback, and because he is Patrick Mahomes, he will bring home his fourth Super Bowl MVP.

Evan Winter: I mean, look, I’d love to avoid the chalk, here, but let’s just be real. If the Chiefs win this game, it would take a sensational effort from a player not named Mahomes and a very pedestrian-like effort from the man himself. The Eagles are too good a team to lose in that scenario, so it’s gotta be No. 15.

Adam Holt: This Super Bowl is star-studded on both sides of the football. Chris Jones and Jalen Carter headline the defenses, while Patrick Mahomes and Saquon Barkley lead the pack on offense. In a game that I expect to be really close from start to finish, it is nearly impossible to pick the best quarterback in football & one of the best to ever put on the cleats. Mahomes is nearly a lock for the award – as long as KC wins. That’s just history & math wrapped up with a bow on top. Right now, I lend that way so I’ll roll with him, even if it’s not the most exciting or unique pick in this discussion.

Travis Kelce, Chiefs TE (1) 

Rob Gregson: Travis Kelce will not only hoist his fourth Lombardi, but his first SB MVP after a star-studded night that included multiple big catches and a game-deciding touchdown, in what may be his final game in the NFL. Expect him and Pat to be in tune from the jump, getting the best of Vic Fangio when it matters most.

Xavier Worthy, Chiefs WR (2) 

Nick Roesch: The easy pick here is quarterback Patrick Mahomes winning his fourth Super Bowl MVP, but I can’t help but be intrigued by wide receiver Xavier Worthy. He has a lot of momentum right now, and is Mahomes’ go-to target. Statistically, the Eagles have a great pass defense, but two of their top cornerbacks are rookies. Worthy is un-guardable against man coverage, and has developed well late in the season against zone. He could also be in the mix running the ball, and is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches it. 

Travis May: Xavier Worthy has put together a phenomenal rookie season already, and now he'll cap it all off with a Super Bowl LIX MVP. After a fast start, logging two touchdowns in his NFL debut, Worthy's production slowed down quite a bit. However, since Thanksgiving Worthy has averaged more than eight targets per game, catching at least five receptions in every game. Expect to see a ton of targets sent to Worthy as his elite speed gives him an edge over an Eagles secondary with only one defensive back who has the wheels to hold pace (Quinyon Mitchell). Worthy likely scores a touchdown and hauls in at least six catches, rightfully earning him the MVP.

Chris Jones, Chiefs DT (1) 

Mauricio Rodriguez: Yeah, I think Mahomes is the likeliest MVP pick if the Chiefs win but let's have some fun. I'm going defense, baby. Give me Chris Jones with a multi-sack game and a strip fumble in crunch time. Eagles' interior offensive linemen Cam Jurgens and Landon Dickerson will play but they'll be banged up. I'm sure Steve Spagnuolo will free up Jones in some big spots.