It has finally arrived! Super Bowl 51 kicks off at 3:30 p.m. PT, officially wrapping up the 2016 season. The San Francisco 49ers season was an absolute disaster, and the sooner we can forget about it the better. Of course, the 49ers disaster of a season is connected to this Super Bowl. Once it wraps up, Kyle Shanahan is free to finalize his 49ers contract. So, there’s that!
The New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons are squaring off for the Lombardi Trophy at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX. The game will air on FOX with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in the booth, Erin Andrews and Chris Myers on the sideline, and I believe Mike Pereira as the referee analyst.
The Patriots are a field goal favorite. If they win, they would improve to 16-3 against the spread this season. That would match the 1989 San Francisco 49ers single season record for wins against the spread. In spite of their strong betting season, I’m going with the Falcons to cover, and win outright by a final score of 27-23. Alex Mack is playing with a fracture in his leg, which does not bode well. And considering how well the public has done this year, it might be best for you to go with the Patriots.
I'm hoping for a good game, but we'll see what it all brings. This will serve as our Super Bowl open thread. We'll see how busy it gets before opening up a new thread.
When: Sunday, Feb. 5, 3:30 p.m. PT
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
TV: FOX
Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, Chris Myers
Online: Verizon NFL Mobile | FOX Sports Go
Odds: Patriots -3, 58.5
Halftime show: Lady Gaga
Referee: Carl Cheffers
SB Nation blog: Pat Pulpit | The Falcoholic