Super Bowl 2019: Date, TV Coverage, Prop Bets for Patriots vs. Rams

The two-week period between the NFL conference championship games and the Super Bowl always provides a needed break for the teams involved.

While fans of the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams will have their patience tested as they wait for Super Bowl LIII to kick off February 3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta at 6:30 p.m. ET, the coaching staffs and the players have a chance to catch their breath as game plans are readied.

The game will be televised by CBS, with Jim Nantz and Tony Romo handling the play-by-play and analysis duties.

The Patriots have had an impressive postseason to this point, with a one-sided victory over a strong Los Angeles Chargers team in the divisional playoffs and an impressive overtime road win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.

New England has used a heavy ground game to establish its postseason personality, as rookie Sony Michel has five rushing touchdowns in the two playoff games, while Rex Burkhead has added three more, including the overtime game-winner against the Chiefs.

When Tom Brady has the assistance of a running game, he is an even more dangerous quarterback. Brady has completed 71.1 percent of his postseason passes and is averaging 345.5 yards per game.

The Rams defense is clearly going to have a major challenge on its hands, and while this unit is clearly talented with stars like Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh on the defensive line, they are going to have to bring it on every play.

That has not been the Rams strength this year. While they are capable of making game-changing plays, the defense was the worst in the league against the run during the regular season, giving up 5.1 yards per carry.

It has been much better in wins over the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints (2.3 yards per attempt), but New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will test them with the run to see how well they hold up.

The Los Angeles offense has been good enough in the postseason, but Jared Goff has not been as productive as Brady in the Rams' two playoff wins. He is completing 58.8 percent of his passes while averaging 241.5 yards per game.

The Patriots are 2.5-point favorites to win the game, per OddsShark. The Rams were initially installed as one-point favorites, but an influx of New England wagers turned the point spread around.

The total in the game is 57.5 points, comparatively high for a regular-season game, but one that makes sense given the explosive nature of both offensive teams.

Jordan Strauss/Associated Press

Prop bets

The Super Bowl is known for its prop-betting opportunities for both hardcore and casual fans.

Those viewers who don't watch much football during the regular season but are captivated by the size and scope of the event have an opportunity to bet on the length of the national anthem, the halftime entertainment and the commercials that will be broadcast in the game.

There are also a great number of game-related prop bets, and while many are already being offered, far more will become available two or three days before the game.

Gladys Knight is singing the national anthem at Super Bowl LIII, and the over-under on her version of The Star-Spangled Banner is 1:47, per OddsShark. Those betting that she takes longer than that time to sing the anthem are offered that opportunity at -160, while bettors taking the under get that option at +120. 

The bettor risks $160 to win $100 on the over, while the under bettor wagers $100 to win $120.

The Voice star Adam Levine and Maroon 5 are the featured halftime entertainment, and fans can make a wager on the number of songs that the band will play during the expanded halftime. The total is 7.5, with both the over and under offered at -120.

Prop bets can also be made on which song the band will perform first, with "One More Night" offered as the favorite at +300, while "She Will Be Loved" and "This Love" are the longshots at +1500. Eight other song choices are listed on OddsShark.

Beer commercials are often memorable at the Super Bowl, and fans have a chance to bet on which beer ad will appear first in the game's broadcast.

Budweiser is the favorite at +150, Bud Light is the second choice at +210, followed by Stella Artois and Michelob Ultra, both at +400. Bon & Viv Spiked Seltzer is also listed at +400 and is listed with the other beers.