Super Bowl Odds 2019: Patriots vs. Rams Box Score Game Predictions

One of the most successful NFL franchises in Super Bowl history takes on an emerging force Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Super Bowl LIII.

The New England Patriots are in search of their sixth Super Bowl crown, which would tie them with the Pittsburgh Steelers for most Super Bowls won by a franchise.

On the other side of the matchup are the Los Angeles Rams, who have one Super Bowl title in franchise history and are making their first appearance in the championship game since moving back to California in 2016.

New England's experience, specifically that of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, should put it in good position to win Sunday.

But the Rams aren't expected to go quietly, as head coach Sean McVay, who is considered one of the top offensive minds in football, should be able to utilize his offensive stars by throwing every variation of his playbook at the New England defense.

Super Bowl Odds 

Odds via OddsShark.

Spread: New England -2.5

Over/Under: 56.5

Box Score Prediction

1st Quarter

Los Angeles 3, New England 3

2nd Quarter

Los Angeles 17, New England 13

3rd Quarter

Los Angeles 23, New England 20 

Final

Los Angeles 30, New England 37 

Game Predictions

Rams Defense Finds A Way to Stop Brady's Progress and Force Early Field Goals

One of the reasons why the Rams were in contention to win the NFC Championship Game in the fourth quarter was their ability to stop the New Orleans Saints in the red zone.

By only giving up one touchdown and holding the Saints to two field goals in the first quarter, the Rams defense allowed the offense to gain traction on the field and work back into the game.

There's no question the offense needs to get off to a better start Sunday, but it will be the Los Angeles defense that makes the difference-making plays early on.

The defensive success starts with the pass rush of Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh, who face their toughest test of the postseason against a Patriots offensive line that was superb in the AFC Championship Game.

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

While the Kansas City Chiefs possess a strong group of defensive linemen, none of them are as powerful as Donald at the line of scrimmage.

Donald's ability to blow past offensive linemen and end up in the backfield is a beautiful sight to see, and he will be able to at least pressure Brady on a few occasions.

If the Rams are able to put together a good amount of pressure on third down and in the red zone, they should force the Patriots to settle for field goals.

By limiting New England's scoring output, the Rams allow their offense to create some sort of separation on the scoreboard.

L.A. will do enough on offense to open up a halftime lead but won't be able to benefit from the defensive pressure to open up a significant advantage before the final 15 minutes.

New England's Offense Comes Alive in 4th Quarter 

The Patriots are usually slow starters in the Super Bowl.

In their past three Super Bowls, the Patriots scored a combined three points in the first quarter, which is something to keep in mind for betting purposes.

In the fourth quarter and overtime of those games, the Patriots scored 46 points, including 25 in the come-from-behind victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.

If you go back to the start of the Patriots' championship dominance, the same trend rings true, as they started remarkably slow and then found another gear in the second half.

New England didn't score in the first quarter in its first three Super Bowl wins, but it scored 18 points in the back-and-forth fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII and 10 in the fourth in Super Bowl XXXIX to down the Philadelphia Eagles.

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

If the second-half outburst were a one-time occurrence, we wouldn't be so sure in predicting another one out of the Patriots.

But since New England usually comes alive in the fourth quarter, we're banking on that happening again, as that's when Brady takes control of the game and works the Patriots down the field.

If New England's offense becomes near unstoppable in the fourth, all its defense needs to do is come up with one big stop to shift the momentum in its favor.

At some point, the Patriots defense gets that stop and allows Brady to march down the field to win his sixth Super Bowl.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.