NFL Betting Odds: Patriots Pegged As Favorites In Super Bowl LI Rematch
The New England Patriots will be looking to record three straight victories for the first time this season when they take the field in a Super Bowl LI rematch with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night as 3.5-point home favorites sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
New England re-established its lead atop the AFC East standings with last week’s 24-17 win over the New York Jets as 9-point road chalk to lift their record to 4-2 on the campaign going into Sunday night’s Falcons vs. Patriots betting matchup at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots’ victory in New York leaves them unbeaten straight-up in 12 road games, but the club has struggled at home this season, losing twice SU and failing to cover in three dates in Foxboro, including a 33-30 loss to Carolina as 9-point home favorites three weeks ago.
However, the club returns home after a pair of solid defensive performances on the road, allowing just 31 total points in their wins at New York and Tampa Bay and producing consecutive wins for the UNDER in totals betting for the first time since last December.
Quarterback Tom Brady also reportedly is back to full health after being limited in practice last week with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. Brady showed steady improvement in New England’s victory over the Jets, connecting with tight end Rob Gronkowski on a pair of touchdown passes and avoiding being sacked for the first time this season.
That’s bad news for the Falcons, who travel to New England riding a two-game SU losing streak after getting shut down in a pair of upset home losses to Buffalo and Miami.
The memory of last year’s Super Bowl matchup with the Patriots, in which the Falcons blew a 28-3 third-quarter lead en route to a 34-28 overtime loss as 3-point underdogs still is fresh for Atlanta.
The Falcons rebounded quickly from that historic loss, opening the campaign with three straight victories, including road wins at Chicago and Detroit. But the club has struggled to generate offense over the past two weeks, scoring just 14 points in each of its two recent home losses, including a 20-17 loss as heavy 14-point favorites to the Dolphins and their 32nd-ranked offense.
Overall, Atlanta is winless SU and ATS against the Patriots in five straight meetings since posting a 41-10 victory as 4.5-point road underdogs in November 1998, and they recorded a 26-10 loss as 4.5-point underdogs in their last visit to Gillette Stadium eight years ago.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Images
