The New England Patriots will be making a third straight appearance in the NFL’s championship game when they hit the gridiron against the Los Angeles Rams at Super Bowl LIII as early 3-point favorites on the NFL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
New England silenced the naysayers with a stunning 37-31 overtime win over Kansas City in this year’s AFC Championship Game and now takes a four-game straight-up win streak into next week’s Patriots vs. Rams betting matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Patriots have rediscovered their offensive prowess in recent weeks. New England has averaged an impressive 38.7 points per game over its past three outings, ending a shaky 3-3 SU run during which they averaged just 22.5 points per game.
With 78 total points scored in this season’s two playoff contests, the Patriots also have maintained the high-scoring ways that have marked their recent lengthy playoff runs. New England has topped 30 points in six of eight playoff outings over the past three seasons. Not surprisingly, that has fueled a steady 7-1 run for the OVER in totals betting during that stretch.
However, the Patriots also have surrendered big point totals at times in the postseason. With Sunday’s victory over the Chiefs as 3-point road underdogs, New England has allowed 33.3 points per game over its past three postseason contests, including last year’s 41-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles as 4.5-point chalk. That run comes in stark contrast to a preceding nine-game playoff run in which they gave up just over 18 points per game.
A return to stingy ways could be a tall order against a high-powered Los Angeles Rams squad making its first Super Bowl appearance since 2002 as +120 moneyline underdogs on the Super Bowl odds. The Rams ranked second in the NFL this season at 32.9 points per game while scoring 35 or more points on seven occasions.
However, it was a win in a relatively low-scoring affair that enabled the Rams to claim their Super Bowl berth. Los Angeles escaped with a narrow 26-23 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints as 3-point underdogs in NFC Championship Game action, marking its second straight victory while pegged as underdogs of four or fewer points at online sports betting sites.
The Rams’ high-scoring ways have not guaranteed a consistent run in totals betting, where the UNDER has gone 4-2-1 over their past seven games. Los Angeles also has struggled to earn victories in recent clashes with the Patriots, losing SU in five straight meetings since 2001.
