Whether you think the Rams should be in this game or not, you cannot deny the way they played the majority of the season. Yes, the defense took a step back from a year ago, but Los Angeles can play well when it counts -- and it is going to count in Super Bowl LIII. Even if the Rams are not able to take down Tom Brady, the Patriots' offensive line should struggle against constant pressure, forcing Brady to get rid of the ball quickly. The biggest advantage New England has in this game is Bill Belichick, and while I don't think Sean McVay is his match, he won't be intimidated into suddenly becoming vanilla offensively. The Rams are battle tested, and I love them with the full three points, which you should buy if provided the opportunity. Do I feel as good about Los Angeles as I did Philadelphia last year? No. But I'm probably also going to take the Rams straight up as I did the Eagles.

This pick is about two factors: the Rams' ability to pressure Tom Brady, and the likelihood Todd Gurley bounces back in a huge way after his disappearing act in the NFC title game. Look for Gurley, playing in the state where he starred in college, to make big plays as a receiver out of the backfield. Grab the points.

There is no greater irony in Super Bowl LIII than this: While franchises are climbing all over each other to hire Sean McCoy clones as head coach, if you swapped coaches here, the Rams would be favored. There is Bill Belichick, and there is everyone else. Give the master two weeks to game-plan, even against an offense as dynamic as L.A.’s, and surely he will come up with a checkmate. Rams QB Jared Goff can be excellent, but also mediocre. Here’s a guess that Patriots defenders will jam the L.A. receivers and force Goff into quick -- and risky -- decisions. If Rams defenders can get to QB Tom Brady, victory awaits. Yet, for the most part, Brady’s rapid-fire release and his team’s improved ground game mean nobody lays a hand on him. Who can argue against the fact that the Rams carry measurably more talent? But with the stakes piled high, to choose anyone other than B&B is foolhardy. Belichick and Brady prevail, yet again.

These have been two of the best offenses in the NFL all season long but I don't expect either offense to have an amazing performance in this game. More than anything, I see the Rams struggling to move the ball consistently against a Patriots defense that will figure out a way to slow down its run game. It won't be a boring game by any stretch, but it won't feature as many points as this total suggests, either.

Every bone in my body is telling me to take the Rams and the points in this game, but I just can't do it. Count me amongst the public in this game, because I think that Bill Belichick will take away the Rams rushing attack in this game and force Jared Goff to beat him. Goff's capable of doing it, but not often enough to warrant taking the Rams and the points. The Patriots OL will neutralize Aaron Donald and the Rams pass rush, giving Tom Brady all the time he needs to find whichever Patriots receiver the Rams are leaving open, and he'll pick them apart like he picks everybody apart.

Like many, I'm recommending buying the half-point to get to Rams +3 if you can. New England had a much easier trip here than the Rams did. The Patriots got in by playing the road-weary Chargers, a team with a slumping QB, and then a team with no defense. Tom Brady wasn't touched the whole game by K.C. He's going to get hit plenty in this one. Play on the Rams.

You should try to grab +3 at -125. I've had the Rams rated No. 1 the entire season, except for the final two weeks when Todd Gurley was out, and then it was the Saints by a half-point. The Rams have a big advantage on both lines, while the Patriots' only advantage is in the secondary. I think Jared Goff is as good as Tom Brady. Look for big games from Gurley and tight end Tyler Higbee. I put 20 percent of my wager on the money line early, because this line will dip.

The NFL wants scoring so there will be plenty of defensive pass interference flags. The Patriots will try to run but find it too hard, so Tom Brady will dink and dunk down the field. The Rams' offensive line is going to open up huge holes for the running game, setting up the best play-action passing in the NFL. Rams 34, Patriots 31 as this one sails Over.

The last two Super Bowls have been high scoring, and the over-under of 56.5 in this one suggests that oddsmakers understand the rise of creative offenses and how dangerous these two specific units are. The Under has hit in 20 of the 36 games these two teams have played this year, and I fully expect both to come out slow like heavyweight boxers in a title fight. That will be enough to go under the total -- although it will be dicey at the end.

The Patriots offensive line hasn't given up a sack, and the Rams have Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh. If you know for certain who is going to win that battle, you're smarter than most. I'll take the Rams defense to win the battle more times than not, force Brady into just a few mistakes and the Rams thunder-and-more-thunder tandem of Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson to grind it out to an ourtright win.

The Patriots tend to play close Super Bowls, so from that standpoint I understand the line here. And the Rams have an elite defensive line. But where they're vulnerable, the linebacking corps, is where the Patriots love to attack. Look for New England to use its running backs as receivers a ton in this game. Back the Pats.

We've got two of the highest scoring teams in the NFL facing each other and the Patriots offense has looked its best in their last three games scoring at least 37 points in each. The Patriots have also gone Over the total in seven of their last eight playoff games, including both this season. The Rams have averaged 33 ppg during their current four-game win and cover streaks, just slightly above their season average (32 ppg). Over is the play.

I'm not taking the Rams because underdogs have been the way to go in Super Bowls lately, or because Sean McVay is 8-0 in his two years against AFC teams, or because I saw the Patriots lose five games away from their home field this season. It's about my belief the Rams should be -1 or pick 'em and because they also have more big-play playmakers. I got the Rams 38-28.

This total is a little high. New England's pass defense is very good, and the Rams won't let Tom Brady stand back in the pocket all day like he did against the Chiefs. Go Under.

The Patriots are back in the Super Bowl, and I'm not going to be the one to pick against them, not when they'll be up against a Rams team with a quarterback I don't particularly trust in big spots and a defense that has trouble shutting down the run. Why does that matter? Because the Pats have morphed into a smashmouth rushing offense, running for 176 yards against the Chiefs in just the latest big performance by Sony Michel and company. I think Bill Belichick will do enough defensively to slow down Sean McVay and give the Patriots what could be a fitting ending to the dynasty they began in 2002 by beating the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.