Super Bowl 2017: Final Patriots vs. Falcons MVP, Stat, Prop Predictions

When the ball goes in the air at 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday night and Super Bowl LI between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons is finally underway at NRG Stadium in Houston, there will be no shortage of potential heroes who can walk away with the game's MVP honors.

Going into the game, it's difficult to discount quarterback Matt Ryan, running back Devonta Freeman or wideout Julio Jones. These three have helped to put the Falcons in a position to compete in the Super Bowl, and they helped the Falcons put the most productive offense in the league on the field.

The Falcons scored more points than any team in the NFL this year, and they have been especially hot lately. They have scored 33 points or more in six consecutive games and have exceeded 40 points in three of those games.

The Patriots have the No. 1 scoring defense in the league, but it will be difficult to slow down the Atlanta attack, and it will be almost impossible to stop it.

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

Ryan had a remarkable season and is the triggerman to this explosive offense. He completed 69.9 percent of his passes and had a 38-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. If the Falcons are going to come up with the win in this game, it seems certain that Ryan will perform well and will be one of the primary Most Valuable Player candidates.

Jones should also be a contender, but the New England defense likes to take away the opponent's most dangerous weapon. That is almost certainly the 6'3", 220-pound Jones. While Freeman and Tevin Coleman are both dangerous coming out of the backfield, Jones has more sudden-strike power, and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will almost certainly try to take away his run-after-the-catch ability.

Player	Position	Team	Key Stats
Tom Brady	QB	New England	305 yards, three TDs
LeGarrette Blount	RB	New England	77 yards, one TD
Julian Edelman	WR	New England	88 yards, one TD
Chris Hogan	WR	New England	101 yards, one TD
Matt Ryan	QB	Atlanta	275 yards, two TDs
Devonta Freeman	RB	Atlanta	50 yards
Tevin Coleman	RB	Atlanta	40 yards, one TD
Julio Jones	WR	Atlanta	77 yards, one TD
Mohamed Sanu	WR	Atlanta	66 yards

That leaves Freeman as another go-to MVP candidate. He is nearly as skilled a receiver as he is a running back, and he should have plenty of opportunities to make plays. The Patriots obviously want to keep him from making the long run or long reception, but he should get plenty of touches. If the Falcons come up with the upset, Freeman will put his mark on this game.

The Patriots are three-point favorites, according to OddsShark. They have nearly as much firepower as the Falcons and a much better defense. The Falcons rank 25th overall and 28th against the pass, and that seems an unlikely combination for a team that is serious about slowing down Tom Brady.

Brady, of course, is going for his fifth Super Bowl title, and he had a remarkable regular season by completing 67.4 percent of his passes and having a 28-2 TD-to-interception ratio. When Brady gets time from his offensive line, he can hit his receivers in stride and come up with big plays on a regular basis.

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He also spreads the ball around to his receivers. He has a particular affinity with Julian Edelman, and he has developed a rapport with Chris Hogan, tight end Martellus Bennett, running back James White and running back Dion Lewis. It would not be surprising to see any of those players step up and become a key receiver in this game.

The other potential game-breaker is running back LeGarrette Blount. He is a power back who ran for 1,161 yards and 18 touchdowns in the regular season. While the Falcons are somewhat improved against the run, they have often had difficulty with aggressive offensive lines and power running backs in the past. The Patriots certainly qualify, and if they have a lead in the second half, Blount could wear them out.

We see the Patriots winning this game and covering the spread. We also see Brady throwing for 305 yards and three touchdowns, therefore earning the MVP. Edelman, Hogan and Bennett will be on the receiving end of his touchdown passes. Blount will run for 77 yards and score a touchdown as well.

The Falcons will have some success in the first half, but the New England defense will figure them out and keep them from scoring touchdowns in the second half. Ryan will throw for 275 yards and two touchdowns, but it won't be enough to help Atlanta win its first Super Bowl title.

The Patriots will hold Freeman to 50 yards, and while Jones will catch nine passes, it will be for just 77 yards.

Prop Bets

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The plethora of Super Bowl prop bets heightens the interest of casual and hardcore fans. 

While we are not interested in making a wager on Luke Bryan's version of the national anthem or Lady Gaga's halftime show, there are three props we want to get involved with.

We are looking for an early payoff, so we are willing to bet on the first score of the game. If it is a field goal or a safety, OddsShark reported that a backer will get paid at plus-135 for that selection. For those who believe that the first score will be a touchdown, bettors must wager $165 to win $100.

While both teams are high-scoring, the first possession may not be overly sharp. We think that the first score will be a field goal.

The second prop concerns Blount—we believe he will be a driving force in this game. According to OddsShark, those who believe Blount will exceed 57.5 rushing yards can wager $115 to win $100. Those who believe he won't crack that total are offered the same odds by betting the under 57.5. We are betting that Blount will blow by that number early in the fourth quarter.

We also expect there to be a safety in this game. We can see Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich corralling Ryan in the end zone. A bet on a safety returns a profit of plus-600, while bettors must risk $1,000 to say there will be no safety and receive a $100 profit on that prognostication.

We want no part of the no-safety bet, as we will take our chances on a two-point safety score in Super Bowl LI.