Five Reasons to Bet on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII
By Loot, NFL Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
The Super Bowl LII point spread is a tight one—not an easy one in which to cast a prediction. As should be the case in an against-the-spread context, a strong case could be made for either side. Those betting on the Patriots certainly don't need much more ammo to do so, with New England's championship pedigree showing this isn't a big leap for them. But the Eagles are a tough opponent. Like the Pats, they won 13 games this season. And while the Patriots struggled to get to this spot, coming off the pace to beat the Jaguars, the Eagles massacred the Vikings 38-7 in their conference title game. For those who will be plunking down their money to beat the Patriots, here are five reasons why that might be the right move.
Championship Experience: Ask the Jaguars and the Falcons—it's easy to get in position to do special things, but to actually get over the hump and make it happen takes another gear. And that's a gear that the Patriots have shown they can produce. Whatever muscle or mental component that enables a team to repeatedly win the whole thing is a part of the Patriots' make-up that is highly-developed. They are the only ones on the field for Super Bowl 52 that have shown they can do this. And it isn't always easy, as the Patriots have been forced to overcome issues on and off the field, while showing no lead is too great when facing the Pats. They've made it happen in a variety of ways and are a proven championship football machine. In games like this where both teams do a lot of things right, it can be worth its weight in gold.
Brady/Belichick: When you have the best quarterback and head coach in the business, you already have a leg-up. The case can even be made that Brady and Belichick are the best of all-time at what they do. That goes a long way. Brady is 40, but as we saw in the AFC title game, there is no one you'd rather have behind center, especially when you need to overcome adversity. There are times when Brady is dominant and even when he isn't, he can make up for it late in games. It's almost bizarre how automatic he becomes with his arm when the Patriots absolutely need it. And Belichick has instilled a reliable championship system that is clearly a level above what his contemporaries are capable of producing. And like Brady, he comes up with the right answers when things aren't going well. It's easy to praise the players when the Patriots produce these memorable performances, but Belichick's ability to make the right adjustments in the midst of a game is unparalleled.
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Coaching Staff: Belichick has put a lot of good people around him over the years, with a coaching tree that branches out into a big part of the league. We see both of his coordinators, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, likely to leave to pursue head coaching opportunities after the season. There are capable position-coaching personnel on both sides of the ball. When looking at a team that does really well, we tend to look at the guys at the top—the quarterback, star players, and the head coach. With the Patriots, the whole cast is integral and a big part of that is the coaching staff.
Resilience: It's one thing for a power like the Patriots if everything is downhill. A lot of people might say they catch a lot of breaks and there is some truth to that. At the same time, their ability to overcome adversity on and off the field is commendable. Last season, they overcame the loss of Brady for a month and a lot of injuries and controversy to rise to the top for their fifth Super Bowl title. This season, they started in rough fashion, looking like a Super Bowl hangover would loom large this year. The defense was giving up record yardage. Julian Edelman went down. And they proceeded to still stand out and be the best team in the league. Even against Jacksonville, they overcame a deficit and the loss of key offensive piece Rob Gronkowski to once again rise to the top. A lot of things that would derail most teams don't seem to have the same affect on the Patriots.
Dwindling Opportunities: No matter what your endeavor is in life, the level of urgency rises as the light at the end of the tunnel comes more-plainly into view. With a 65-year old head coach and a 40-year old quarterback, there are only so many more championship opportunities that will be available for Brady and Belichick. A younger man or group of players knows there are other chances that lie ahead. Granted, no team isn't trying their hardest to win the Super Bowl. But when you have a team like New England that is as good as they are and you add a big dose of urgency to the recipe, they could be hard to stop.
