New England’s improbable turnaround from division basement dweller to championship contender came full circle Sunday when the Patriots eked out a 10-7 win in the AFC Championship to book their first trip to the Super Bowl since the days of Belichick and Brady.
They will have to beat the odds once again to hoist the franchise’s seventh Lombardi Trophy in two weeks.
Although the Patriots and Seahawks finished with identical 14-3 records, New England’s Super Bowl XLIX foe is favored across most sportsbooks.
Super Bowl LX (Odds):
DraftKings Sportsbook: Seahawks -3.5 | 46.5
FanDuel Sportsbook: Seahawks -4.5 | 46.5
BetMGM Sportsbook: Seahawks -5 | 46.5
Barring a dramatic odds swing over the next few weeks, Super Bowl LX will be the first time this postseason that the Patriots will enter the game as underdogs afte being favorites in their Wild Card victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, Divisional Round Victory over the Houston Texans and championship victory over the Denver Broncos.
Seattle has also been favored throughout their postseason run but dodged playing in the Wild Card round by securing the NFC’s top seed.
Seattle has won nine games in a row and 13 of their last 14. Coach Mike Macdonald’s suffocating defense allowed the fewest points in the NFL during the regular season and their offense, led by 28-year-old QB Sam Darnold, doesn’t lag far behind, scoring the third most points in the league.
While Patriots fans might remember Darnold from his infamous “I’m seeing ghosts” moment on Monday Night Football in 2019, the former Jets quarterback has transformed himself into a legitimate leading man as he completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions during the regular season. He has yet to throw a postseason interception.
Patriots QB Drake Maye led the league with a 72% completion percentage in the regular season but New England’s offense has gotten bogged down in their three postseason games against three high-powered defenses as the sophomore QB has taken 15 sacks, fumbled six times (losing three) and tossed two INTs.
First-year head coach Mike Vrabel has had the Patriots’ defense playing with fire, as the former New England LB has overhauled a group that ranked near the bottom of the league last year into a unit that has averaged less than 9 points per game allowed in the playoffs.
Super Bowl LX is set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET on February 8.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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