New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl Odds Update, Latest News

While most of the money in Las Vegas has yet to come in leading up to Super Bowl 51, there has been virtually no change regarding the side and total for Sunday’s NFL championship matchup between the New England Patriots (16-2) and Atlanta Falcons (13-5).

Sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark still show the Patriots listed as three-point favorites with the total holding steady at around 58.5 or 59 points, which is the highest number ever posted.

Whether the Patriots and Falcons will back up oddsmakers and break the all-time record of 75 points scored between the San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers in 1995 remains to be seen, but these two high-powered offenses are certainly capable.

In eight previous Super Bowl appearances, New England has managed to score more than 28 points only once, though, and the team’s last six with head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady have all been decided by four points or less. So bettors will need to handicap a number of factors.

However, injuries should not be one of them because there are not any of note on either side right now. A few players for both teams have missed practice time since the AFC and NFC Championship Games nearly two weeks ago, but that is perfectly normal considering the Vince Lombardi Trophy is on the line here.

For example, Atlanta wide receiver Julio Jones (toe) and center Alex Mack (fibula) were each limited Wednesday, but neither of them will miss the Super Bowl. Jones missed two games late in the regular season, although that was precautionary hoping the Falcons would make a long playoff run, which they obviously have. And he could be the deciding factor.

Belichick’s ability to limit the opposition’s best player in the biggest games has been well-documented over the years, and Atlanta will need Jones to perform well to win the Super Bowl. Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has done an outstanding job aiding Belichick this season despite losing Chandler Jones, Jamie Collins and Jerod Mayo from last year’s team.

Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff risked mortgaging the Falcons' future for Jones, trading five picks to move up in the 2011 NFL draft and select the wide receiver sixth overall, and the rest is history. That single matchup could determine who wins Super Bowl 51 and who covers the spread.