The Super Bowl matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots Sunday in Houston has already sprung a number of ridiculous and serious bets.
When it comes to results on the field there’s a lot of history to consider.
The Falcons are playing in their second Super Bowl and looking for their first win. The Patriots are appearing in their ninth game and looking to avoid their record fifth Super Bowl loss.
The Patriots remain the three-point favorite. The over-under on the score holds at 58.5 points.
The Falcons - the season’s high-scoring team - are 15-3 in the over-under mark this season. If you are betting the game, consider the Falcons are the first team since the 1997 Denver Broncos to score the over in 15 games this season. Denver won the Super Bowl that season.
So as you watch Sunday, just keep marks in mind.
1. First score matters
The team to score first has won 34 of 50 Super Bowls. The Falcons have scored in their opening drive in eight-straight games, including two in the playoffs. Also, Atlanta went 8-1 this season when scoring first.
2. Shut it down
No team has ever been shutout at the Super Bowl. The Miami Dolphins in 1972 scored the fewest points in game history in their 24-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Falcons held the Green Bay Packers scoreless in the first half of the NFC Championship Game.
3. Pass on these stats
Credit: Ed Andrieski
Credit: Ed Andrieski
The Broncos had just 35 yards passing - a Super Bowl record low - in the Cowboys’ 1978 win. Denver’s John Elway has thrown the most interceptions for a career in the big game (8) - including three in a 1988 loss to the Washington Redskins.
4. Passing prowess
Credit: George Rose
Credit: George Rose
Kurt Warner set the record for most passing yards in a Super Bowl -- 414 yards -- against the Tennessee Titans at the Georgia Dome in 2000. San Francisco’s Steve Young threw the most touchdowns (6) in a game in 1995 against San Diego. Matt Ryan’s 9.26 yards per attempt this season was the best in NFL history.
5. At the half
Credit: George Rose
Credit: George Rose
Only three Super Bowls have been tied at the half. In the remaining 47 Super Bowls, the team leading at halftime has won 37 times. The Washington Redskins in 1998 jumped to a 25-point lead after two quarters, which remains a Super Bowl record.
6. 75 or bust
Credit: Simon Bruty
Credit: Simon Bruty
In 1995, the San Francisco 49ers (49) and San Diego Chargers (26) combined for a 75-point Super Bowl score. The over-under for the Falcons-Patriots matchup is 58.5 points. (We've covered the Falcons' over stats this season above.)
7. The BIG game
Credit: Rick Stewart
Credit: Rick Stewart
In 1990, San Francisco’s offense throttled the Broncos for 55 points - the single most points scored by a team in the Super Bowl.
8. Running away with it
Credit: Mike Powell
Credit: Mike Powell
San Francisco’s 45-point win over the Broncos in 1990 remains the largest margin of victory in a Super Bowl. The closest game? The New York Giants’ 20-19 win over the Buffalo Bills in 1991.
9. Don’t count them out
Credit: Kevin C. Cox
Credit: Kevin C. Cox
Three times, teams have come back from 10 points down to win the Super Bowl -- Redskins over Broncos in 1998; the New Orleans Saints over the Indianapolis Colts in 2010; and the Patriots over the Seattle Seahawks in 2015. The Patriots are the only team to overcome the lead in the fourth quarter.
10. Second time a charm?
Credit: Elise Amendola
Credit: Elise Amendola
Nineteen of the 32 NFL teams have won the bulk of 50 Super Bowls. Six of those teams -- the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins and Seattle Seahawks -- won their first Super Bowl after losing in their first appearance.
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