The best sportsbooks are hanging the New England Patriots as 2 ½ to 3 point favorites over the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday. It is clear that the vast majority of the public is siding with Tom Terrific to get his sixth Super Bowl ring as the line has shifted a full point or more at many of the offshore and domestic books. Money moves lines and if you’re inclined to get down on the Pats then do so now because the difference between laying 2 ½ and three points could determine whether you cash your ticket or merely get your money back with a push if New England wins by an oh so familiar field goal.

The public is squarely on the side of the Patriots, which could make anyone nervous who knows that often times the squares are like lambs to the proverbial slaughter. However, the masses are not always wrong, and in this case, we believe they’ve got their finger on the pulse of this matchup. Tom Brady has repeatedly told the media that the Super Bowl loss to the Eagles last season is still a foul taste in his mouth and those who were on the team last year.

Let’s hear it from TB12 himself, "All these losses are tough. Everyone that you have you remember forever. This is a new team, new season and it is a different game. Certainly, because it happened just a year ago you still remember some of those emotions as opposed to 12 years ago when we lost in '07. Those are still a little bit fresh. We just realize everything we have to put into it. If you get to this game and you don’t perform to your best and you don’t perform well enough to win, you just kick yourself for the rest of your life. I don’t think anyone wants to go through that.”

Nobody likes to lose and Jared Goff is no different than Tom Brady in that regard. However, the absurd amount of experience that the Patriots have on the league’s biggest stage is a factor. In addition, the Pats have a huge weapon in James White emerging from the backfield as an outlet receiver that the Rams’ linebacking corps has had difficulty containing when faced with other pass-catching running backs. Expect the Patriots to employ the same ground-and-pound philosophy that they used against the Chiefs to keep LA’s offense off the field as much as possible. Run the ball, move the markers, and chew up the clock.

Obviously, New England can’t be totally married to the run because the Rams’ dominating defensive front will get wise in a hurry. But what it does do is set up the pass and Brady has been like greased lightning in releasing the ball over his past several games. His receivers, like Julian Edelman, are very much aware they need to shake free of defenders in a hurry and go to where the ball will be when they sprint from the line of scrimmage.

The downside to the Pats’ game plan is that it doesn’t give much time to stretch the field. Chris Hogan and Phillip Dorsett are Brady’s primary downfield targets and that tandem pales in comparison to LA’s Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods. Nevertheless, expect this to be a shootout with New England taking control early and putting the pressure on the young gunslinger Goff to come from behind and play error-free football. A tall task to ask of a second-year player in his first Super Bowl and one who probably shouldn’t be there in the first place if you listen to New Orleans fans. Although we may not like the Patriots, we do like money so bet the Pats and collect at one of the best sportsbooks found over at Sportsbook Review.