Super Bowl 51 is coming. The New England Patriots (-155) and the Atlanta Falcons (+135) will finally face off for the league’s biggest prize. One of the wagers to watch out for in Sunday’s big showdown is the totals betting. The Falcons-Pats clash will feature the highest total (59.0) in the history of the Super Bowl. Early reports out of Vegas, however, indicate that the record total isn’t slowing down the money on the over.
Read on below to find out why and while you’re at it, you can check out our counter-argument on why Sunday’s total will go under.
Key to the Falcons’ incredible run this season has been their outstanding offense. They steamrolled several of the league’s toughest defenses to amass a whopping 540 points, tied for eighth-most in NFL history. During the regular season, 55.8 percent of the Falcons’ drives resulted in a field goal or touchdown. That’s the second-highest rate since 2000.
Leading the way for Atlanta’s attack is the great Matt Ryan. He produced one of the greatest seasons in NFL history, posting a 117.1 passer rating. Ryan, who is pegged at +180to win the Super Bowl 51 MVP, became the first quarterback in league history to start 16 games and average more than 9.25 yards per pass attempt for the season, and he set an NFL record by throwing touchdowns to 13 different receivers in 2016.
New England’s Attack is Not That Far Behind
Atlanta may possess the league’s best offense, but New England’s attack is every bit as potent. The Patriots ranked third in the NFL in scoring (27.6 PPG) and fourth in total yards (386.2 YPG) in 2016.
Tom Brady, who is priced at -115 to win the Super Bowl MVP, put together a 2016 campaign for the ages, completing 67.4 percent of his passes with 28 touchdowns to just two interceptions over 12 games. That’s the best single-season ratio in NFL history. Brady and co. will be licking their chops at the prospect of facing an Atlanta defense that allowed more than 400 points during the regular season.
Atlanta and New England’s Games Tend to Go Over
The total for Sunday’s ballgame currently stands at a record 59.5 points, but that may not be high enough for these two powerhouse offenses. In fact, 16 of the Falcons’ 18 games this season have eclipsed the total. Not to be outdone are the Patriots (-3), whose last three games have gone over the total as well. With Matt Ryan and Tom Brady playing some of the best football of their lives, expect a high-scoring affair this coming weekend.
