Super Bowl Odds 2017: Prop Bet List, Moneyline Info for Patriots vs. Falcons
The two-week waiting period is almost over, and Super Bowl LI is just a day away from kicking off between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons.
After a week of recharging the batteries and installing a game plan, both teams made it to Houston for a week of media obligation to hype up the big game. But once the ball is in the air at 6:30 p.m. ET, it will be about strategy and execution.
With prop bets and money-line wagers dancing away in our heads, we will provide our analysis as well as giving you our selections.
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The Patriots would seem to have an edge in the strategic department with head coach Bill Belichick, along with offensive and defensive coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia. Not only have they been there before—several times—Belichick is considered to be one of the top two head coaches in the history of the sport.
If he's not by himself at No. 1, he walks with Vince Lombardi at the head of the parade. McDaniels has given quarterback Tom Brady an unpredictable and creative offensive attack, while Patricia has taken a group on defense that lacks superstar performers and turned them into the No. 1 scoring unit in the league.
The Falcons may be equal to the Patriots when it comes to offensive talent, especially on offense. Matt Ryan is a strong candidate for the MVP award this season after throwing for 38 touchdowns and just seven interceptions this season. He has followed that up with seven more TD passes and has not been picked off in the postseason.
The two-tiered running attack with Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman gives Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan plenty of options. Both combine speed with power, and Freeman is the kind of back who attacks well when he senses a weakness in the opposing defense.
Julio Jones ranks with Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants as one of the top three receivers in the game. All three have brilliant talent, but Jones is 6'3" and 220 pounds, and he has a huge edge on those two in size and strength.
The Falcons appear to be a better defensive team now than they were at the start of the season, but they still rank 25th overall and 28th against the pass.
That may be the part of the game that turns in the Patriots' favor. Patricia has done a remarkable job of getting his defense to play at its peak level. Trey Flowers led the team with 7.0 sacks this season, but New England often drops key members of the front seven into coverage. The idea is to try to confuse opposing quarterbacks like Ryan and throw the ball into coverage.
The other key for the Patriots is to limit Atlanta's big-play ability. They don't want Jones or complementary receiver Mohamed Sanu to get behind the coverage. This sounds obvious, but Patricia's defense does this better than nearly every other team.
New England's top cover men Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan are both talented and confident, while safeties Patrick Chung and Devin McCourty are smart, tough and almost always in the right position.
The Patriots have been steady three-point favorites for nearly two full weeks, and they are also favored on the money line, according to OddsShark. The Patriots range from minus-145 to minus-161 favorites, while the Falcons range between plus-125 and plus-140 underdogs.
The advice here is to lay the price and go with the favored Patriots. You are risking more money, but they have a chance to dominate here.
Prop Bets
Betting on the Super Bowl is almost as typical an American activity as eating hot dogs on July 4.
Casual fans and hardcore bettors can find an array of prop bets to wager on prior to the game.
Among the bets that may interest those who will be at Super Bowl parties and don't follow the game on an every-week basis, involve Lady Gaga's halftime performance. Fans can wager on what song she will sing first. OddsShark lists "Born This Way" at plus-225, "Bad Romance" at plus-250, "Edge of Glory" at plus-600, "Poker Face" at plus-1000, "Just Dance" at plus-1000 and any other song at plus-110.
We will go with the long shot "Poker Face" on this prop and hope that Lady Gaga goes back to the hit that was released in 2008 to open the show.
Those interested in the competitive aspect of the Super Bowl can bet on whether the first score will be a touchdown, field goal or safety, who will score that first touchdown and the individual performances of skill-position players.
Jones is listed as the most likely to score the first touchdown at plus-750, followed by Freeman at plus-800 along with New England's Julian Edelman and LeGarrette Blount at plus-800.
The choice here is to go with AFC Championship Game hero Chris Hogan to score the first touchdown with odds of plus-1,200 to score the first touchdown.
The other prop bet that we like involves Blount's rushing total. If he runs for more than 57.5 yards, bettors will win $100 if they are willing to risk $115. Those who want to bet that Blount won't reach that total must risk the same amount to win $100.
The thought here is that Blount's size and strength will wear down the Atlanta defense and he will easily surpass that total.
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