Super Bowl Odds 2017: Final Predictions for Patriots vs. Falcons Winner, Score

Super Bowl LI has finally arrived, and in a few hours, we'll know if the New England Patriots have won their fifth Super Bowl or if the Atlanta Falcons have won their first. 

It's an exciting matchup that promises plenty of offensive action behind two of the league's premier passers, New England's Tom Brady and Atlanta's Matt Ryan, as well as two high-octane rushing duos in the Patriots' LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis and the Falcons' Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. 

Of course, it's not just about the points scored; on this stage, especially, the game's outcome could come down to which defense is able to show up and do anything to shut down its opponent.

With offenses this productive—New England and Atlanta both finished in the top three in the league in scoring—even coming away from one drive without points could be the difference-maker. 

Let's get into the game details and make some predictions about what will go down in Houston. 

Date	Location	Time	TV	AFC	NFC	Point Spread	Prediction
Feb. 5	NRG Stadium, Houston	6:30 p.m. ET	Fox	New England	Atlanta	NE -3	Patriots

Breaking Down Odds and Predictions

It's worth noting that while the Patriots are favored by three points heading into the game, plenty of people think the Falcons are going to be bringing home their first Lombardi Trophy when all is said and done Sunday night. 

For instance, OddsShark predicts Atlanta will win and cover the spread 29.3 to 21.1. 

The Patriots went 15-3 against the spread in 18 games this season, while the Falcons went 13-5. 

The moneyline for New England is minus-145 (bet $145 to win $100), while the underdog Falcons are at plus-125 (bet $100 to win $125). 

Vegas expert Benjamin Eckstein wrote a column for OddsShark in which he pointed out that while conventional wisdom suggests "the best defense (New England) always beats the best offense (Atlanta), there have been six Super Bowls between the No. 1 scoring offense and the No. 1 defense, with the D winning five of the six."

Ultimately, Eckstein thinks the Patriots will win by one point, 31-30, but the Falcons can cover the spread. 

Do you like to go with the masses? According to Jon Campbell of OddsShark, the most money in Vegas is on the Patriots so far, but he also reveals that "anywhere between 60 to 80 percent of the money will come in on Sunday."

In a situation like this, where New England has somewhat of an advantage due to its superior defense (which ranked first in scoring in the regular season) but Atlanta's offense can absolutely keep pace, why not stand to take home $125 rather than lose $145?

New England is the favorite and that's the team we're going with straight-up...but that doesn't necessarily mean the Pats are the better bet. 

Prediction: Patriots 30, Falcons 28