Patriots vs. Rams: Super Bowl 53 Start Time, Prop Odds and Pick
January 31, 2019
It's been a fun week of pre-Super Bowl pageantry, complete with memorable media moments. However, Super Bowl LIII itself is just a few days away, and that's what die-hard NFL fans are waiting for.
The New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams will take the field early Sunday evening, and when the final whistle blows, one of the two storied franchises will own another Lombardi Trophy.
Listed here is everything you need to know to catch every bit of the action—including viewing information, the latest odds and over/unders from OddsShark, a list of popular prop-bet possibilities and some of the latest Super Bowl buzz.
Sunday, February 3: Super Bowl LIII
When: 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
TV and Live Stream: CBS and CBS All Access
Odds and Over/Under: NE -2.5, 56.5
Super Bowl Money Line
New England: -150
Los Angeles: +130
Gurley Is Ready to Go
Rams running back Todd Gurley missed the final two games of the regular season with a knee injury. He also spent much of the NFC title game on the sidelines. Los Angeles managed to win without him, though, because late-season addition C.J. Anderson carried the load.
In his four games with the Rams, Anderson has averaged 100 yards on the ground.
The Rams are a better team with a healthy Gurley on the field, though. When he's at least close to 100 percent, he's an MVP-caliber offensive weapon. If Los Angeles can have both Anderson and Gurley in the Super Bowl, it will put immense pressure on the Patriots defense.
According to Gurley, he'll be good to go.
"If there was an issue on my knee, it would be on the injury report," he said, per Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com. "Come on now. I'm at practice. I'm playing."
Rams head coach Sean McVay also believes the 24-year-old will be ready to help carry the offense.
"I've got a funny feeling he's going to be ready to go and play a big role in this game," McVay said, per Thiry.
The Patriots should expect to see plenty of Gurley too.
Brady Could Get an Extension Soon
The Patriots may also be seeing more of quarterback Tom Brady over the next few years. The 41-year-old has repeatedly stated he plans to play until he's at least 45. It would be a major shock if he suddenly decided to hang it up after the Super Bowl.
It is fair to wonder, however, if Brady will play until 45 for the Patriots. New England has a history of parting with players too early rather than too late. Plus, next season is the final one on his contract.
If the signal-caller is going to finish his career with the Patriots, he's going to have to sign an extension at some point. Fortunately, owner Robert Kraft at least seems open to the idea.
"Think about it: The last three years we've been privileged to go to the Super Bowl with a quarterback in place," Kraft said, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. "I would be quite surprised if he didn't continue for quite a while as our quarterback."
That's good news for Patriots fans. It's not-so-good news for other teams in the AFC East hoping to get a crack at a division title.
Romo is Predicting the Under
CBS commentator Tony Romo has earned a reputation for being able to predict plays just before they happen in games. He's been so good at it, that more than a few gags have cropped up around it.
Former Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper, for example, recently joked he had asked Romo for a little foresight:
The jokes continued during Super Bowl week, when the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback was asked for his Super Bowl prediction. While he didn't pick a winner he did predict a final score of 28-24:
For those keeping track at home, this means Romo is predicting the final score to hit the underside of the current 56.5 over/under. It won't be a shock if more than a few bettors take this into account when making their Super Bowl wagers.
Unsurprisingly, you can also bet on the number of plays he correctly predicts in Super Bowl LIII. You can find that prop and several more from OddsShark below:
Money Line
New England: -150
Los Angeles: +130
Top MVP Odds
Tom Brady: 11-10
Jared Goff: 9-4
Todd Gurley: 13-1
Sony Michel: 16-1
C.J. Anderson: 20-1
Aaron Donald: 20-1
James White: 20-1
Julian Edelman: 25-1
Rob Gronkowski: 35-1
Brandin Cooks: 40-1
Robert Woods: 40-1
Which Player Will Score the First Touchdown?
Sony Michel: 5-1
Todd Gurley: 6-1
C.J. Anderson: 7-1
Brandin Cooks: 15-2
Robert Woods: 15-2
James White: 9-1
Julian Edelman: 9-1
Rob Gronkowski: 9-1
Josh Reynolds: 10-1
Rex Burkhead: 10-1
Total Touchdowns in the First Half
Over 3.5: 21-20
Under 3.5: 20-27
Longest Touchdown
Over 46.5: 20-23
Under 46.5: 20-23
Prediction: Over
Coin Toss
Heads: -105
Tails: -105
Miscellaneous Props
How many plays will Tony Romo correctly predict? Over/Under 7.5
Will Donald Trump attend the game?
How many times will the broadcast mention Sean McVay's age? Over/Under 7.5
How long will it take Gladys Knight to sing national anthem? Over/Under 1:47
How many songs will be played during the halftime show? Over/Under 7.5
Will Adam Levine be wearing a hat to start the halftime show?
What will be the predominant color of Levine's shirt during the halftime show? Black or other
Will a fan run onto the field during the game?
How many commercials will run during the Super Bowl? Over/Under 96
Will a non-quarterback throw a touchdown pass?