Patriots vs. Rams: Latest Expert, NFL Player Predictions for Super Bowl 53

The New England Patriots are the favorites to win Super Bowl 53 in the eyes of oddsmakers and a good number of NFL experts.

New England, which enters Sunday's title clash with the Los Angeles Rams as a 2.5-point favorite, per OddsShark, is expected to win its sixth Super Bowl by many who've covered the sport for years. 

Since the Super Bowl is an international spectacle that receives attention from diehard fans and casual spectators who only tune in for the game itself, picks come in from all walks of life. 

In addition to experts, current players and casual fans, even animals have a say in predicting the Super Bowl, and most of those picks garner a good amount of attention on social media in the buildup to the contest. 

Expert Picks

According to NFL Pickwatch, 87 percent of its 77 experts have picked the Patriots in Super Bowl 53. 

Among those selecting the Pats to win are CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco and the staff at FiveThirtyEight. 

Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon also chose the Patriots when he was asked by NFL Network on Tuesday. 

Although the Patriots eliminated the Chargers from the postseason in the divisional round, Gordon admitted he wants New England to win because he is "not trying to be second tier to anybody" in Los Angeles, per NFL Network's official Twitter account: 

Indianapolis kicker Adam Vinatieri won three titles with the Patriots, but he opted to take a different route when asked about his prediction, per Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star: "I'm just a fan. ... No, that's a lie. When we're not in it, I want everybody to lose."

CBS analyst Tony Romo, who will call the Super Bowl with play-by-play man Jim Nantz, wowed football fans by predicting some plays that the Patriots ran during the AFC Championship Game. 

Even though Romo's aced the prediction business recently, he opted to only pick a final score, stating that the team with the ball last will lose, per Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel: 

While the Rams are the unpopular pick at the moment, there are a few experts, including ESPN.com's Lindsey Thiry, who have picked Los Angeles to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. 

The Madden 19 simulation also favored the Rams, who were predicted to win 30-27 by the popular video game. 

A video-game simulation is far from the most bizarre Super Bowl prediction that we've seen in the buildup to Sunday's game, as plenty of zoos have gotten in on the fun. 

Ozzy, a 680-pound grizzly bear at ZooMontana, chose the Patriots by selecting a cake with the team's logo on it, per Mike Kordenbrock of the Billings Gazette. 

Ishta, a tiger at the Myrtle Beach Safari, also predicted the Patriots to win their sixth Super Bowl crown, per Myrtle Beach Online's Alan Blondin.

The Rams received some love from the animal-pick videos that have been submitted so far, as rescued sea turtles Scotti and Thally from the Grapevine Aquarium in Texas chose the Rams amid some controversy, as one of the sea turtles pushed the other in the direction of the Rams logo in their tank, per CBS Dallas Fort Worth. 

As the Super Bowl inches closer, more picks will be unveiled from experts who cover the league on a regular basis and from the most random places that create buzz for the game on social channels. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.