Eagles vs. Patriots: Super Bowl 52 Odds, Predictions Before NFL Honors

The New England Patriots are 4.5-point favorites over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII, per OddsShark, with the over/under total set at 48 points.

New England initially opened as six-point favorites, but a deluge of bets (including a massive $1 million wager) have knocked the line down a point-and-a-half.

It will be interesting to see if the line movement foreshadows a nail-biting finish (or perhaps an Eagles win). On the other hand, maybe the bettors are off and this turns into a Patriots blowout.

Until we find out, here's a look at the primary key for Sunday's game, which kicks off in Minneapolis' U.S. Bank Stadium at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Then, you can find a score prediction at the end.

The Patriots Offense: Death By a Thousand Paper Cuts

After the Patriots beat the Tennessee Titans 35-14 in the AFC divisional round, the headline for an article from Christopher L. Gasper of the Boston Globe read as follows: "This was Tom Brady at his death-by-a-thousand-paper-cuts best."

Brady put on a passing clinic in that game, completing 35 of 53 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns. Five different pass-catchers had (a) 79 or more yards or (b) a touchdown catch on the day.

Notably, two players' efforts stood out: tight end Rob Gronkowski and wideout Danny Amendola. Gronkowski hauled in six catches for 81 yards and one touchdown, while Amendola made 11 catches for 112 yards.

Remarkably, the Patriots never had a massive chunk play: a Lewis catch for 31 yards was the long on the night, and no other play went above 27. Rather, New England moved down the field methodically numerous times, including a 15-play, 90-yard touchdown drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock.

Look for New England to employ a similar offensive strategy on Sunday, with a primary focus on one area of the field. 

According to Football Outsiders, the Eagles ranked fifth in defensive efficiency overall. One would be hard-pressed to find many weaknesses on this stout unit, but their performance defending the middle of the field has been below average.

Per Football Outsiders, the Eagles ranked 19th in the NFL defending that area. Notably, they were also just 17th against tight ends.

This puts Gronkowski, who is already a matchup nightmare for any team, potentially in line for a monster game.

The eighth-year pro caught 69 passes for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games this year, although in reality that game number should be 13 as he was essentially used as a decoy in the season finale versus the New York Jets (it was Gronkowski's only target-less game of the year).

The former Arizona Wildcat did suffer a concussion in the AFC Championship against the Jacksonville Jaguars following a helmet-to-helmet hit. Thankfully, he cleared concussion protocol this week and is good to go for Sunday.

The Eagles' other problem is that Amendola has been on fire of late (18 catches, 196 yards, two touchdowns in two playoff games), and like Gronk, he just so happens to make a living in the middle of the field.

Against the Jaguars, the ninth-year veteran caught seven passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns. His closing two receptions were in the middle of the field: the first set up the second, which resulted in the game-winning score.

Philadelphia also has to contend with a stable of three Patriots running backs who are all more than capable of catching passes out of the backfield.

Combined, Dion Lewis, James White and Rex Burkhead caught 118 passes for 897 yards and nine touchdowns, and that was with White sitting two games and Burkhead an additional six.

Lewis is also one of the most efficient backs in the NFL, as he averaged 5.0 yards per carry, which was second at his position only to the New Orleans Saints' Alvin Kamara.

Ultimately, this could be a situation where the Pats dink and dunk down the field all night to Gronkowski, Amendola and the running backs as they sustain long scoring drives.

If the Patriots are successful in milking the clock and ending drives with touchdowns rather than field goals, then the Eagles are going to have to play catch-up mode, which isn't their strong suit and not something they are used to this season.

Granted, the offense has looked lights-out at times with backup Nick Foles under center, most notably when they posted 38 points in the NFC Championship against the Minnesota Vikings. However, it has also been stagnant as well, such as a 13-point effort against the below-average defense of the Oakland Raiders at home.

Philadelphia has had a tremendous season, but the Pats offense could have a big game. Look for Brady to win his fifth Super Bowl MVP and for New England to take title No. 6 in convincing fashion.

Score: Patriots 38, Eagles 17