It’s Super Bowl week and that means a week of hoopla like no other. Sandwiched around the actual game are parties, parties and more parties…celebrities appearing everywhere, over the top television commercials, ridiculously extravagant half-time shows…and of course big-time (and crazy) betting. This year you can bet on what Luke Bryant will be wearing when he sings the National Anthem. You can wager on who Donald Trump says will win the game. You can put your money down on what color you think Lady Gaga’s hair will be when she performs the half-time show. Or on how many times Giselle Bundchen (Mrs. Tom Brady) will be shown during the broadcast. Oh and of course you can bet on the actual outcome of the game – and as of now the Patriots are 3 point favorites. They have Brady, Bill Belichick and of course tons of Super Bowl experience. Seems like a pretty safe bet right?
But hold on there a sec all you Beantown backers, ScoreBoard isn’t jumping on that bandwagon quite yet. Just like we correctly predicted upsets in the College National Championship game and Packers vs. Cowboys in the NFC Divisional match-up, we’re going to ride another trend and go with the underdog Falcons in this one as well (hey in a year the Cubs win the World Series anything is possible).
You see a funny thing happened on the way to the last 15 Super Bowls…12 underdogs actual won the game (by an average of 10.18 points) while only 3 favorites ended up hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Strange but true. The last true favorites to emerge victorious were the 3-point favorite Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV (31-25 over the Steelers) here in icy Arlington in 2011. Before that you have to go back to 2007 when the Colts held off the Bears 29-17 in Miami as a 7-point favorite. The only other favorite since 2002 to walk out as champs were the Steelers who in 2006 knocked off the Seahawks 21-10 in Detroit.
The Falcons have flown (yes, pun intended) under the radar screen all year outside of Georgia, but Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and the two-headed backfield of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman have led the NFL in scoring at 33.8 points a game (38.6 over their last 6 games including their two playoff wins) and I don’t see even the great Belichick slowing them down. The Falcons defense has been solid as well allowing only 23 a game over their last 7 games and winning the turnover battle consistently.
It’s been 22 years since Atlanta saw their only professional championship when the Braves finished off the Indians in 6 games to win the 1995 World Series. Look for the 2017 Super Bowl to heat up Hotlanta once again with a Falcons victory. Prediction: Falcons 35, Patriots 31.
