With just one day remaining until kickoff at Super Bowl LI, the New England Patriots remain entrenched as three-point favorites over the Atlanta Falcons at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Wagering on Sunday’s Patriots vs. Falcons betting matchup at NRG Stadium is expected to shatter records at Las Vegas sportsbooks, but despite both the heavy volume and the popularity of New England among sports bettors, the point spread has remained stable since opening with the Patriots as three-point chalk.
This year’s big game pits the NFL’s highest-producing offense against the league’s stingiest defense for the sixth time in Super Bowl history.
The Falcons led the league with 34.4 points per game, topping that point total in five of their past six contests, while New England surrendered a mere 15.7 points per game during the regular season and has allowed more than 17 points just once during its current nine-game straight-up win streak. History has favored teams with the high-powered offense in the five previous best vs. best Super Bowl matchups, with the top scoring squad claiming victory on three occasions.
But it has been the top defensive squad that has picked up the SU win in two contests since, with the Seattle Seahawks accomplishing the feat most recently, posting a 43-8 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII after allowing just 15.9 points per game during the 2014 campaign.
The point total for Sunday evening’s contest is up to 59.5 at some sportsbooks after opening a week ago at 58.5. The Falcons have seen the point total go over in eight straight contests, including their 44-21 win over the Green Bay Packers in this year’s NFC Championship Game, when they blew away a total of 59.5 to push the over to 16-2 in their games this season.
The Patriots’ airtight defense has not prevented the total from finishing over in each of their past three outings. However, the under has prevailed in eight of New England’s past 10 games when the point total is set at 50 or higher, with the Patriots amassing a 9-1 SU record in those contests and covering the spread six times.
With few personnel surprises coming out of either camp this week, popular player prop bets have also remained stable. Tom Brady remains a +160 favorite to claim his fourth career Super Bowl MVP award, closely followed by Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan at +275.
Ryan’s favorite target Julio Jones is next at +750, while Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan trails at +5,000 despite leading New England with 92 tackles during the regular season and adding an additional 16 during this year’s playoffs.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
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