Super Bowl LIII Odds: Patriots Remain Slim Favorites Over Rams
The 2019 Super Bowl odds largely have held steady this week.
The New England Patriots sit between 2.5-point and 3-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com for Sunday’s game and as high as -150 on the moneyline. The Los Angeles Rams are set as +130 underdogs on the moneyline, having sat atop the futures for stretches during the season.
In addition, the point total for Sunday’s contest has halted its decline to sit at 56.5 points after opening at a loftier 58.0 points. The dip defies a recent trend of high-scoring Super Bowls, with an average of 68 total points being scored over the past two matchups, and the total topping 50 points in seven of the past nine editions of the NFL’s championship game.
The Patriots offense has found a high gear in recent outings, scoring 38.66 points per game over their past three contests. New England also has averaged over 31 points per game over its past three Super Bowl appearances.
The Rams were among the highest-scoring teams in the NFL this season, putting up 30 or more points on 13 occasions including a 30-22 win over the Dallas Cowboys as 7-point home chalk back in the divisional round. That has fueled the possibility of an uptick in the game’s total before Sunday’s kickoff, which is something to watch for those making Super Bowl bets.
On the injury front, Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower (illness) returned to a full practice Friday after sitting out the team’s walkthrough Thursday, putting him in line to play on Sunday night in Atlanta.
The 28-year-old Hightower has been a fixture on the Patriots defense since New England selected him 25th overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. Hightower played a key role in the team’s two most recent Super Bowl wins, including a five-tackle performance in the Patriots’ 28-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, and has racked up 52 total tackles so far this season.
Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein also returned to a full practice Friday, putting him in line to play Sunday as well after he suffered a foot injury in the NFC Championship Game two weeks ago. Zuerlein played a critical role in the Rams’ 26-23 victory over the New Orleans Saints as 3-point underdogs, kicking four field goals, including a successful 57-yard attempt in overtime to seal the win. Zuerlein has been perfect on 23 attempts inside 40 yards this season.
