Super Bowl 2017: Patriots vs. Falcons Game Odds, Final Score Predictions

Some NFL fans plan on using one football game to choose the greatest quarterback of all time.

Go ahead and Google some variation of "Is Tom Brady the greatest quarterback ever?" See how many pieces pop up regarding the subject in anticipation of his seventh Super Bowl appearance. Fellow passing great Brett Favre presented a common line, per an AFP report via Yahoo Sports, about Brady's legacy before his New England Patriots face the Atlanta Falcons.

"I think if Tom wins this game, and I never thought I'd say this, he surpasses Joe Montana as the greatest ever," Favre said. "Right now, in my opinion he and Joe Montana are a dead heat."

If New England loses to the NFL's premier offense, Brady will merely have four Super Bowl wins, three Super Bowl MVPs, two regular-season MVP trophies, 12 Pro Bowl appearances and the third-highest career quarterback rating. 

Including the postseason, Brady has played in 270 games and thrown 9,487 passes. Remember that before re-framing his entire career solely around Sunday's outcome.

Super Bowl LI Betting Odds (via OddsShark)

Spread: Patriots -3

Over-Under: 58

Money Line: Patriots (-155), Falcons (+135)

Preview/Prediction

Brady can appreciate football's microscopic differential between G.O.A.T. and goat better than anyone. All six of his Super Bowls have gone to the wire, each ending in a three- or four-point margin. New England's lone championship not decided on a field goal ended with an end-zone interception during the closing seconds.

All things considered, he and head coach Bill Belichick should gladly take four rings in six tries. Per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Brady made light of those highs and rarer lows, both inflicted by the same nemesis:

Tthe New York Giants twice stymied scoring by effectively applying pressure. Based on a miniature two-game playoff sample size, the Falcons might have the ability to bother Brady in the pocket. 

According to ESPN.com's Bill Barnwell, Atlanta has augmented its blitz percentage from 16.9 to 36.0 percent. The added aggression has paid off; their pressure rate also significantly rose from 24.9 to 44.9 percent.

Barnwell also, however, detailed the hazards of heavily sending extra defenders to attack the iconic quarterback:

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The problem with blitzing Brady is that he's Tom Brady. Nobody in the league is better than him against the blitz. When defenses blitzed him this year, Brady went 61-of-99 for 838 yards with 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions, taking just two sacks in the process. His 125.7 passer rating and 90.4 QBR both ranked No. 1 overall. Over the past three years, Brady has posted a league-best 92.2 QBR and 113.6 passer rating against blitzes while taking sacks just 2.7 percent of the time, all the best in the league by a comfortable margin.

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ESPN.com Insider Scott Kacsmar also studied Brady's play in relation to opposing pressure. Teams have unsurprisingly pressured him more during victories over New England, but they did so with three percent less blitzing.

Yet the Falcons don't wield the talent to stop Brady otherwise. They don't have Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck or Jason Pierre-Paul to generate havoc with a four-man rush. After linebacker Vic Beasley Jr., no Atlanta defender accrued five or more sacks during the season.

Before upping their game in the playoffs, Atlanta finished No. 25 in total defense and No. 28 against the pass. Pro Football Focus, however, did note the team's improved performance since losing top cornerback Desmond Trufant to a shoulder injury:

Anyone predicting an Atlanta victory must feel confident in its late defensive progress. Or they're counting on Matt Ryan to match Brady score for score and get the ball last, which is far from an outlandish scenario. The squad hasn't scored fewer than 33 points during a six-game winning streak in which the MVP favorite has tossed 18 touchdowns and no interceptions.

New England also isn't as potent as its No. 1 scoring defense indicates. It instead ranked an average No. 16 in Football Outsiders' defensive-adjusted value over average (DVOA). Yet the unit excels in preventing big plays.

As detailed by Pro Football Focus, its biggest strength—containing explosive downfield throws—is equipped to combat Atlanta's forte:

The Patriots have only allowed over 30 points once this season, a 31-24 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. That defeat remains their only one this year with Brady under center, and it may take even more points for the Falcons to snag their first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.

Ryan will come close, but Atlanta's defense ultimately won't maintain its recent growth against a legendary quarterback. Those awaiting another title to declare Brady the best must bow down to the king after another tightly contested Super Bowl triumph. 

Prediction: Patriots 34, Falcons 27