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The start of championship weekend in the NFL playoffs wouldn’t be complete without a bit of drama, and Sunday’s action started with plenty. The Los Angeles Rams went into the Superdome and knocked off the New Orleans Saints 26-23 in overtime. Game No. 2 over the day nearly topped it, as the New England Patriots pulled off an overtime thriller, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 37-31.
In the NFC Championship Game, Saints coach Sean Payton pulled no punches in the postgame presser after the officials missed a possible pass interference call with the game tied. Regardless, there’s nothing that can be done now, as the Rams are on their way to the Super Bowl with a date against one of the best head coach/quarterback duos in NFL history.
We’re going to dive in and look at the odds and prediction for the matchup which pits Tom Brady against Jared Goff and features New England as an underdog.
Patriots vs. Rams Early Betting Odds & Total
As Odds Shark revealed, Bet Online posted the opening line and total on the Patriots vs. Rams Super Bowl matchup. Here’s a current breakdown of how the opening numbers look.
- Los Angeles Rams -1.5
- Over/Under: 56
It’s only somewhat surprising that the Rams open as favorites over the Patriots, especially after Los Angeles reeled off 13 wins during the regular season. Even beyond that, the team proceeded to knock off the only other 13-win team in the league, the Saints, to make it to this point. In turn, you could make an argument they’re the best team in the NFL.
While the Patriots and Rams did not meet during the 2018 NFL regular season, Sean McVay’s squad did face the team Brady and company knocked off to get to the big game. The Rams took that matchup in a thrilling 54-51 victory on Monday Night Football in Week 11. The two teams are not quite comparable, though, so it sets up a great matchup.
Patriots vs. Rams Super Bowl Prediction
It’s hard to peg how this game plays out, but the idea of two of the NFL’s highest-scoring offenses meeting in the Super Bowl is appealing. Fortunately, whether the Rams wound up facing the Patriots or Chiefs, that would be the outcome.
The Rams boast the No. 2 scoring offense in the NFL (32.9 points per game) and Patriots come in at No. 4 (27.3). One big question will be whether the two quarterbacks can be held in check. Although Rams signal-caller Jared Goff hasn’t put up massive numbers during the postseason, the Patriots have given up 4,160 yards and 29 touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks.
On the opposite site, Brady and company have a strong matchup against a Rams defense that allowed 20 touchdowns to wide receivers during the regular season. They also gave up 1,075 yards and five scores to tight ends, per ESPN. Although the two offensive sides look likely to see a big boost, both teams have playmakers on the defensive side as well.
I wouldn’t go as far as saying that the Rams vs. Patriots Super Bowl will turn into a defensive battle, but it’ll be lower-scoring than most think. I’m also going to give the edge to the Rams, as I think the Patriots offense and the question marks at receiver after Julian Edelman could lead to issues putting up enough points to get a win.
Prediction: Rams 27, Patriots 24 (Los Angeles and the under)
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