Patriots vs. Falcons: Super Bowl 51 Start Time, Prop Odds and Pick

While the New England Patriots have four Super Bowl championships under their belt during the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era and are looking for a fifth Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons have no reason to think of themselves as the "other" team in Super Bowl LI.

The Falcons have an explosive offense and were the highest-scoring team in the league this year. If they beat the Patriots, it will almost certainly be the result of a dynamic offensive game led by quarterback Matt Ryan.

While many observers are looking at the New England offense against the Atlanta defense as a major mismatch, the Falcons have asserted themselves offensively against nearly every team they have faced this year.

The Falcons have scored 33 or more points in six straight games and topped the 40-point mark in three of those matchups. They are on a roll, and they have taken apart the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks defenses since their bye in Week 11.

Matchup	Date	Time (ET)	Point Spread; Over/Under	Prediction
New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons	Feb. 5	6:30 p.m.	New England (-3); 58.5	New England; Over

The Patriots, who have the top-ranked scoring defense in the league, have had some memorable performances, but it seems unlikely that a New England defense that does not have a game-changing superstar is going to shut down the Falcons.

It begins with Ryan, who has been an upper-echelon signal-caller for most of his career but had not displayed the consistency he has shown this season. Ryan could receive the MVP award when the NFL hands out its annual accolades Saturday night.

Ryan had a remarkable regular season in which he completed 69.9 percent of his passes, threw for 4,944 yards and had a 38-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. His outstanding play has continued in the postseason, as he has seven TD passes and has yet to throw an interception.

Eric Gay/Associated Press

Ryan has a number of receiving weapons, led by Julio Jones, but the team's two-headed attack at the running back position has been instrumental. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman form one of the best partnerships in the NFL, and they are nearly as good at catching the ball as they are at running with it.

When Freeman and Coleman are picking up chunks of yardage on the ground—they combined for 1,599 yards and 19 touchdowns this season—Ryan knows he does not have to carry the team.

In the past, he did not have that luxury, and the Falcons would often start quickly but slow down in the second half of games and in the latter part of the year.

Jones is generally considered to be among the top three receivers in the league, along with Pittsburgh Steelers star Antonio Brown and New York Giants pass-catcher Odell Beckham Jr. At 6'3", 220 pounds, Jones is bigger and stronger than either of those two, and he also has remarkable speed and leaping ability.

He had a 180-yard receiving effort in the NFC Championship Game, and if he duplicates that performance against the Patriots, the Falcons have an excellent chance of earning their first Lombardi Trophy.

Steven Senne/Associated Press

The Patriots are three-point favorites in Sunday's game, and the over/under is 58.5 points, according to OddsShark. Both figures have remained steady since the conference championship games ended.

Despite Atlanta's firepower and consistent production, the combination of New England's talent and experience makes them the team to beat. Look for the Patriots to cover the spread and win their fifth Super Bowl title.

Prop Bets

The Super Bowl is a social occasion that is often seen as a national holiday with huge parties, great food and the opportunity to wager money.

It's not just point-spread bettors who get in on the action. Propositions, better known as prop bets, give fans a chance to add to the excitement.

Fans can wager on key issues like which player will score the first touchdown or who will be named the MVP, while non-fans can wager on Lady Gaga's halftime performance by betting on the song she will sing first or the color of her hair.

One of the game-oriented props involves the number of touchdowns scored. The 58.5-point over/under indicates this should be a high-scoring game between two potent teams. Fans who think the teams will combine to score more than 6.5 touchdowns can risk $140 to win $100, while those who think fewer will be scored can bet $100 to win $110.

The two offenses are too good, so we are willing to risk the $140 to earn a $100 profit.

Fans can also predict the number of touchdowns either team will score in the game. For example, a $100 bet on the Patriots scoring five touchdowns would return $575 (the original bet, plus a profit of $475). That means the Pats would score one touchdown in each quarter and add a second touchdown in an additional quarter.

While this is a long-shot bet, the payoff is strong, so we'll opt for this prop as well.