Patriots vs. Falcons: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time for Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is something of a national holiday. When the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons kick off at NRG Stadium in Houston on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET, the event will get the country to basically stop in its tracks and watch the nation's most popular sport.

The Falcons hope to flip the script that most expect to see.

The Patriots have been designated as three-point favorites, according OddsShark, and that spread has held steady since both the Patriots and Falcons won their conference championship games Jan. 22. The over/under is listed at 58 points, which indicates most handicappers are expecting a high-scoring game.

There's good reason for that, because the Falcons have been a red-hot offensive team. They have scored 33 or more points in each of their last six games, and they have exceeded 40 in three of them. They are averaging 39.0 points per game over that span.

While the Falcons have a game-breaking receiver in Julio Jones, they don't have to depend on any one player to carry their offense. Quarterback Matt Ryan had an MVP-caliber regular season, and his excellent play has carried over to the playoffs. He has thrown seven touchdown passes in two postseason games, and he has not thrown an interception.

Matchup	Date	Time (ET)	TV	Point Spread; Over/Under
New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons	Feb. 5	6:30 p.m.	Fox	New England (-3); 58

In addition to Jones, who had 180 receiving yards in the NFC Championship Game victory over the Green Bay Packers, the Falcons can depend on wideout Mohamed Sanu to get open and make plays downfield. Sanu caught 59 passes for 653 yards and four touchdowns while fulfilling the role of complementary receiver.

In addition to Jones' ability to turn a game around, running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman can cause problems for any defense. In an era when the running game has lost some of its luster, Freeman and Coleman bring back memories of some of the top running back duos of the past.

Freeman and Coleman combined for 1,599 yards and 19 touchdowns during the regular season, and the Patriots are going to have to make sure neither player gets loose and creates a big play.

NFL on ESPN shared some numbers that indicate the New England defense may be up to the task:

While the Falcons are a potent team, the Patriots may be capable of slowing them down to a degree. The Pats had the No. 1-ranked scoring defense in the regular season, and they held the Pittsburgh Steelers to nine points until late in the AFC Championship Game, when the Steelers scored a touchdown and two-point conversion after the outcome had already been decided.

The Patriots don't have a dominant pass rush, as Trey Flowers led the team with seven sacks during the regular season. While they put occasional pressure on opposing quarterbacks, defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is more likely to drop his potential pass-rushers into coverage.

The Patriots could cause problems for the Atlanta offense, but it's difficult to see the Atlanta defense doing the same to New England. 

Atlanta ranked 25th on defense this season and was 28th against the pass. That should play into quarterback Tom Brady's hands as he makes a run at his fifth Super Bowl ring in his seventh Super Bowl appearance.

Jones (toe) and center Alex Mack (fibula) were the only Falcons on the injury report. Both have been limited in practice but are expected to play in the Super Bowl. Veteran Dwight Freeney took a veteran's day off from practice, but he did not appear on the injury report Wednesday and should be ready to go on game day.

Per Phil Perry of CSN New England, the Patriots have seven players on their injury report: tight end Martellus Bennett (knee), defensive tackle Alan Branch (toe), linebacker Dont'a Hightower (shoulder), wide receiver Chris Hogan (thigh), wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell (knee), defensive tackle Vincent Valentine (back) and defensive back Nate Ebner (concussion).

While all are expected to play, a surprising name on the list is Branch, who was stepped on during practice Wednesday, per ESPN.com's Mike Reiss.