Patriots vs. Seahawks: Super Bowl 2015 Game Time, Prop Odds and Prediction

Marshawn Lynch is the 2015 Super Bowl.

Back in 2010, the Seahawks sent away a couple of mid-round draft choices for a back they thought would be pretty productive. The three seasons after, his minimum yearly totals were 1,204 yards and 11 touchdowns. 

Before this season, the common narrative suggested Lynch would fade as Robert Turbin and Christine Michael rose to the occasion. Not so—Lynch bulldozed his way to 1,306 yards and a career-high 13 scores.

The unexpected triumph is a familiar feeling for most of the big game's big players. Everyone knows the Tom Brady story. Russell Wilson is the quarterback most deemed too short.

Players such as Lynch and Brady are franchise cornerstones who make championship runs possible. The genius of the two front offices involved in Sunday's affair should not go understated in its ability to give the globe one of the best showdowns in recent memory. 

Super Bowl Info and Odds

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV	Spread	O/U	Prediction
Sunday, Feb. 1	New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks	6:30 p.m.	NBC	NE (-1)	47.5	27-24 SEA

*Betting info via Odds Shark as of Friday, Jan. 30 at 10 p.m. ET.

2015 Super Bowl Prop Bets

Prop Bet	Odds
Will Idina Menzel forget or omit at least 1 word of official US national anthem?	Yes 4-1, No 1-6
Bill Belichick Hoodie Type	Sleeves Cut 2-3, Sleeves Intact 11-10
How many viewers will the game have?	Over/Under 113 million
Total passing yards: Tom Brady	Over/Under 260.5
Total rushing yards: LeGarrette Blount	Over/Under 62.5
Will Gronk score a TD in the game?	Yes 10-17, No 7-5
What will Russell Wilson do first?	Throw a TD Pass 1-2, Throw an Interception 8-5
Total rushing yards: Marshawn Lynch	Over/Under 92.5
Total tackles and assists: Kam Chancellor	Over/Under 6.5
Coin Toss	Heads 20-21, Tails 20-21
Team to score first wins the game	Yes 20-33, No 27-20
Total touchdowns in the game	Over/Under 5.5
Total points: Odd or even?	Odd 5-7, Even 11-10
Last scoring play in the game	Touchdown 5-9, Field Goal or Safety 3-2
Will the game go to overtime?	Yes 8-1, No 1-16
Will there be a safety in the game?	Yes 11-2, No 1-9
How many times will Katy Perry be mentioned in the 1st Half?	Over-Under: 1.5 times
Which song will Katy Perry perform first at Halftime?	Firework 3-2; Roar 3-2; This Is How We Do 5-1, Dark Horse 12-1, E.T. 12-1, Wide Awake 12-1, Waking Up In Vegas 20-1
What will Katy Perry be wearing when she begins the Halftime show?	Skirt or Dress 4-5; Pants (below knees) 2-1; Shorts (above knees) 2-1)
What color will Katy Perry's hair be when she begins the Halftime show?	Black/Brown 2-1; Pink/Red 3-1; Blue/Green 3-1; Blonde 4-1; Purple 5-1

*Betting info via Odds Shark as of Friday, Jan. 30 at 10 p.m. ET. Full list of prop bets available at Odds Shark.

Underrated Prop Odd: Will Gronk score a TD in the game? Yes 10-17, No 7-5

USA TODAY Sports

Is the sky blue? Water wet? 

Rob Gronkowski is going to score a touchdown. Simple as that. It is understandable, though, if bettors feel a bit shy on the line. 

This is the Seattle defense, after all. Not only that, but the top chatter centers on the Gronkowski-Kam Chancellor matchup. Some, such as Terrell Suggs, see the individual matchup going to the Patriots' tight end, per ESPN First Take:

Just know that Chancellor is no pushover. The No. 20 overall safety in the league, per Pro Football Focus, he brings the athleticism and nose for the football necessary to fluster most tight ends.

One problem—and yes, it's cliche—Gronkowski isn't most tight ends.

The Arizona product comes in at 6'6" and 265 pounds. Chancellor is 6'3" and 232. He won't be able to just knock Gronkowski off his intended path at the line of scrimmage, nor will he stand much of a chance when the ball is in the air.

Seattle allowed 11 touchdowns to tight ends this season. Top-tier options can terrorize the unit, such as what San Diego's Antonio Gates did back in Week 2 with his trio of scores.

Gronkowski scored 12 times this year. He failed to score a touchdown in only five games. Now in postseason form with a touchdown in as many games, Tom Brady's favorite target will have little issue with Seattle's defense.

Prediction

Gronkowski will do right by bettors, but his team won't be able to pull off the triumph Sunday. 

Now that Seattle's defense is torn down in order to justify a prop bet, let's build it back up—the unit is the main reason the Seahawks will win, after all.

Digest a note by NFL Network's Albert Breer:

This Richard Sherman-led unit is going to give Brady fits for most of the game. Pounding the rock with LeGarrette Blount will work to an extent, as the Seahawks do tend to struggle with bigger backs, but there is quite a big difference between finding success against Indianapolis and finding it against Seattle.

The Seahawks are a team. Whereas Brady needed to do it all on his own in the divisional round, these Seahawks rally together when it matters most, hence the title win last year.

Think about it. The Fail Mary. A one-point win over these same Patriots in 2012. The overtime upset of Denver this year. The epic comeback against Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game.

"This is a group that has really committed to understanding what it takes from themselves and from the team and they have learned a lot," said Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, per Jeff Mezydlo of STATS (via ESPN.com).

It sounds surface level. Maybe it is. But time and again, these Seahawks take care of business. Whether it's the defense coming up with a big stop, Lynch breaking that big run or Wilson using that uncanny sixth sense to escape pressure and hit a target, the team just makes it happen.

New England's lack of explosiveness besides Gronkowski will hurt it when the time comes to trade blows late in the game. Seattle, clearly, doesn't have that problem. 

Prediction: Seahawks 27, Patriots 24

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.