The New England Patriots (13-5) will make their third straight Super Bowl appearance on February 3 when they take on the Los Angeles Rams (15-3) as small favorites on the Super Bowl odds at sportsbooks.

The Patriots won their first Vince Lombardi Trophy against the Rams with a 20-17 victory at the Superdome in New Orleans as 14-point underdogs 17 years ago, and they will be playing inside again here at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

NFL point spread: The Patriots opened as 1.5-point favorites; the total is at 57.5, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

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Why the Patriots can cover the spread

New England's experience in the big game is unmatched with the combination of quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick, as the team again has extra time to prepare for what it hopes will result in a sixth Super Bowl title.

Brady did not turn in one of his best postseason performances in the AFC Championship Game overall, throwing one touchdown and two interceptions, but he was outstanding early on and late en route to a 37-31 overtime win versus the Kansas City Chiefs.

Even though these teams have not squared off against each other since 2016, the Patriots have won the past five meetings straight up, going 4-1 against the spread, dating back to their previous Super Bowl matchup. History favors them, which is why they are favored.

Why the Rams can cover the spread

Los Angeles has a far superior defense when compared to Kansas City, which ranked near the bottom of the league. The Rams will look to pressure Brady and force him into making more mistakes, which could be the difference in this game.

They have the players to do that inside, too, with defensive tackles Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh, who knows Brady well from his days with the Miami Dolphins. Los Angeles also has a pair of former Brady teammates, one on each side of the ball in wide receiver Brandin Cooks and cornerback Aqib Talib, and they will have some inside information on the 41-year-old.

If defense wins championships, the Rams are built to do just that, and they are riding an impressive eight-game winning streak against AFC opponents as well, going 5-2-1 ATS during that stretch.

Patriots vs. Rams Super Bowl betting pick

This will be just the second time Los Angeles is an underdog all season, and that shows how much respect oddsmakers have for head coach Sean McVay's squad.

Some sportsbooks even opened the Rams as one-point favorites before seeing the public show early overwhelming support for the two-time defending AFC champs.

That said, the books needed New England in the AFC Championship Game and will likely need Los Angeles in the Super Bowl.

Look for the Rams defense to come through in an upset.

OddsShark computer pick: 25.7-25.1, Rams (Get NFL picks on every game via the OddsShark computer)

NFL betting trends

The Rams are 4-0 ATS in their last four games.

The total has gone over in the Patriots' last three games in the Super Bowl.

The Patriots are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games in the Super Bowl.

All NFL odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.