Super Bowl Odds 2019: Opening Las Vegas Betting Lines for Rams vs. Patriots

The thrilling conference championship games this year will soon be a part of NFL lore, as both the AFC and NFC Championship Games were decided in overtime Sunday.

The Los Angeles Rams got the job done after falling behind the New Orleans Saints 13-0 in the first quarter and then fighting back hard through the rest of regulation.

The game came down to the leg of Los Angeles place-kicker Greg Zuerlein, who kicked a 48-yard field goal to tie the game in the final seconds and blasted a 57-yard field goal in the extra period to propel the Rams to a 26-23 victory and a spot in Super Bowl LIII.

"I knew it was going to be long enough because I thought I hit it pretty well power-wise," Zuerlein said, per Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com. "I just didn't want it to tail one way or the next. Luckily it stayed true."

A key non-pass interference call late in the fourth period that would have given the Saints a chance to run the clock down to the final seconds before kicking a winning field goal was also a major part of the NFC Championship storyline.

The New England Patriots endured a remarkable fourth-quarter performance by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs before winning the game 37-31 in overtime. The Chiefs trailed 17-7 after three quarters but outscored the Patriots 24-14 in the fourth quarter.

With both offenses operating at peak efficiency, New England won the coin toss and had three third-down conversions before running back Rex Burkhead powered two yards into the end zone to give New England the title.

The New England offensive line had a brilliant game and keyed the team's offensive performance. "Those hogs, they blocked their tails off tonight," Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman said, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. "We live and die through them."

Super Bowl LIII is set between the Rams and the Patriots, with the two teams meeting February 3 in Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

These two teams met in Super Bowl XXXVI following the 2001 season in a game that is often considered to be the start of the Patriots' dynasty. At that time, the then-St. Louis Rams featured "The Greatest Show on Turf" with Kurt Warner at quarterback and Marshall Faulk at running back, and they were favorites over Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.

The Patriots pulled out a 20-17 victory when Adam Vinatieri kicked the game-winning 48-yard field goal on the game's final play.

New England will be playing in its third consecutive Super Bowl, and the franchise will attempt to win its sixth Super Bowl title.

Shortly after the Patriots scored the game-winning touchdown over the Chiefs, the initial Super Bowl point spread was released with the Rams as a one-point favorite. That number quickly went in New England's favor as the oddsmakers gave New England a one-point edge, and as the money rolled in on New England, the edge grew to two points early Tuesday morning, per OddsShark.

The total was released at 57.5 points and moved a half-point higher to 58 points. Jared Goff and the Rams feature an explosive offense, and the Patriots know how to respond, so this game is likely to be high scoring.

The Patriots are -140 favorites on the money line, while the Rams are +120 underdogs. A bettor who backs New England must risk $140 to win $100, while Rams backers will bet $100 to win $120.

While betting trends could reverse over the next two weeks, the early money is coming in on the Patriots.