SB LI: Can Favorite, Smart Pick Or Longshot Pull Off An Upset?

Apparently, it doesn’t matter who’s in the lineup or not. Despite losing Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski for the remainder of the season, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots aren’t going down without a fight – if at all. With the Pats still on top of the league-wide futures odds to win Super Bowl 51, the big question is whether or no anyone can stop New England from winning its fifth Super Bowl title of the Brady-Bill Belichick era. Let’s find out now.

Analyzing The Super Bowl LI Odds: Can Favorite, Smart Pick Or Longshot Pull Off An Upset?

   

The Favorite

New England Patriots 8/5 The New England Patriots (13-2 SU, 12-3 ATS) haven’t lost since losing the best tight end in the game today and they don’t look like they’re planning on doing so any time soon. New England has limited each of its last two opponents to just three points while not giving up more than 23 points in their last five games. The Patriots are ranked an encouraging fifth in scoring at 27.0 points per game and a stunning first in points allowed (15.7 ppg) thanks to their recent dominance on the defensive side of the ball. Forget New England’s statistical excellence, what’s really scary is the fact that the Patriots have a Hall of Fame quarterback in Brady that knows how to win games and the best head coach in the game today in Bill Belichick. As much as I hate to say it, beating the Patriots, while not impossible, looks like it’s going to be extremely difficult for everyone!

The Smart Pick

Dallas Cowboys 17/5 If I had to pick one team to beat the Patriots, it would be the Dallas Cowboys (12-2 SU, 9-4-1 ATS), who have been the best team in the NFC all season long. I could start throwing out a bunch of glistening statistics like the fact that the Boys are fourth in total offense, second in rushing, sixth in scoring (26.1 ppg) and fourth in points allowed (18.4 ppg), but I won’t (okay, okay…so what, I just did?) The fact of the matter is that Dallas has an insanely mature and utterly poised quarterback in rookie Dak Prescott and a jaw-dropping running back in Ezekiel Elliott that can apparently keep them in any game. For me though, what really makes Dallas dangerous though is its clearly improving defense.  The Cowboys have held four of their last five opponents to 20 points or less and that kind of defense could very well propel them to Super Bowl 51 with the way they can control the clock with their powerful rushing attack.

The Longshot

Seattle Seahawks 12/1 I could have gone with several other teams as my longshot selection, but right now, Seattle (9-5-1 SU, 7-7-1 ATS) certainly falls into that category seeing as how they’re not one of the top three teams on the board, behind the Pats, Boys and Falcons. While the Seahawks undoubtedly have problems this season, like their uninspiring 20th-ranked offense (21.9 ppg) and 23rd-ranked rushing attack, Seattle is still very dangerous if you ask me. First and foremost, the Seahawks still have a Super Bowl winning quarterback in Russell Wilson and plenty of talent on the roster on both sides of the ball with players like Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham still productive. Unfortunately, Seattle still hasn’t find a way to consistently incorporate Graham’s jaw-dropping skill set at the tight end position and they haven’t gotten the season out of running back Thomas Rawls that they were hoping for after Marshawn Lynch unexpectedly retired. Still, the Seahawks are a great longshot pick for a team that, should they get their act together quickly, could upset the entire apple cart!