Let the betting begin.
The Patriots opened as an underdog in the Super Bowl, with Las Vegas installing the NFC champion Rams as a one-point favorite over Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in Super Bowl LIII, which will stream on CBSSports.com.
You read that right: the Patriots opened as underdogs.
This little run as a dog didn't last long: the line quickly moved to Patriots -1.5 at many sportsbooks, including the Westgate SuperBook. The line fluctuated back and forth between Patriots -1.5 and Patriots -2 in the initial minutes following New England's win over the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
If the Patriots close as underdogs, it would be the first time they've held that distinction in a Super Bowl since the last time they played the Rams, way back in 2001 at the very beginning of their dynastic run of success in the NFL. That was Tom Brady's first year as a starter, when the Patriots shocked the Greatest Show on Turf to win Belichick and Brady's first Super Bowl.
The over/under is a bit shocking as well: it's set at 58, which would be historically high. The Patriots-Falcons matchup several years ago closed at 57 points. The next closest over/under was 56.5, which was when the Colts and Saints met in the Super Bowl following the 2009 season.