Can Falcons Trip Up Brady and the Pats?
The long wait is almost over for this Sunday’s showdown between the AFC’s New England Patriots and the NFC’s Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. Game time from NRG Stadium in Houston is set for 6:35 p.m. on FOX and BetAnySports has the Patriots listed as three-point favorites with the total set at 58.5. It would be hard to bet against New England adding another world title to the resume given its impressive 14-2 straight-up run through the regular season while going a highly profitable 13-3 against the spread. The Patriots have extended their current SU winning streak to nine games with fairly routine victories (SU and ATS) against Houston and Pittsburgh in the playoffs. The total has gone OVER BetAnySports’ closing line in four of their last six games. When you look at the combination of Tom Brady leading a New England offense that was fourth in the NFL in total yards and third in scoring with 27.6 points per game and a Patriots’ defense that was ranked first in points allowed (15.6) it is pretty easy to see why this team in once again playing on the sport’s biggest stage. The one thing to keep in mind when it comes to betting on them to cover is a 1-4 record ATS in their last five Super Bowls.Falcons are on a Roll Themselves on Offense
Atlanta worked its way into the No. 2 seed in the NFC with a SU record of 11-5 while going 10-6 ATS. It turned up the heat in the playoffs by crushing both Seattle and Green Bay at home by a combined 39 points. The total has gone OVER BetAnySports’ closing betting line in 16 of the Falcons’ 18 games this season. They come into this game at 6-0 SU (5-1 ATS) in their last six outings with the total going OVER each time. You would have to think that Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan would be a lock to win the league’s MVP award this season given everything he has done to get his team back in the postseason for the first time in four years. He was second in the NFL in both passing yards (4,944) and passing touchdowns (38) in the regular season and in those two lopsided playoffs victories he added another 750 yards passing and seven touchdown throws. Julio Jones was his favorite target all year long with 1,656 yards receiving over the team’s 18 games played. I would have to lean towards New England when picking a side in this one, but when it comes to betting the game I going with the OVER on the current 58.5-point total line at BetAnySports.