Another marquee Super Bowl is upon us, with the New England Patriots taking on the Atlanta Falcons. This game is expected to break or challenge the all-time Super Bowl betting handle of $132.54 million set in last year's game between Carolina and Denver.
Chalk's Super Bowl Betting Guide aims to bring you a comprehensive look at Super Bowl LI and hopefully produce as many winners as last year's guide.
Insider's team of pro football handicappers (Dave Tuley, Erin Rynning, Warren Sharp and Rufus Peabody), as well as John Parolin of ESPN Stats & Information, will give their thoughts on the point spread and over/under and also break down a bunch of the ever-popular proposition bets.
All lines courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook unless otherwise noted.
New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons
Spread: Opened New England -3; now New England -3
Total: Opened 58; now 59
Public consensus pick: 68 percent pick New England
Public perception: The public is decidedly on the favored Patriots, and other bet-tracking sites also have pick percentages in the mid-60s. That's understandable. New England is by far the more popular team in sports betting circles and has an NFL-best 15-3 ATS this season for its backers (12-2 ATS since Tom Brady served a four-game suspension to start the season). The Falcons have become more of a public team this season, with the No. 1 scoring offense at 33.8 points per game in the regular season and two routs in the playoffs that have improved them to 12-6 ATS overall, but their support from the public still pales compared with New England's.
Wiseguys' view:
