Season record: 22-20-1

Rams +2 1⁄2

Although New England is playing the best football it has played all season, Los Angeles presents two problems that the Patriots have not been able to solve for the past two seasons.

First, the New England defense has a tough time covering running backs and receivers who catch passes out of the backfield. Rams running back Todd Gurley is one of the more prolific pass-catching backs in the NFL. If he is anywhere close to 100 percent healthy, Gurley will present a huge challenge for the Pats.

Second, Tom Brady is unfazed by pass rushes that come from the edges. We saw this two weeks ago in Kansas City as he picked apart the Chiefs defense. However, as we have seen magnified in their losses to teams such as Jacksonville and Tennessee, Brady and the Patriots struggle mightily when there is a strong interior pass rush. The Rams’ defensive tackles are the best in the business. Los Angeles will be lining up Ndamukong Suh next to defensive player of the year Aaron Donald. Bill Belichick and the Pats’ offensive personnel surely know this, and will need to devise a gameplan to slow Los Angeles down.

As of Saturday night, 70 percent of the $1.36M wagered on the Super Bowl was on the Patriots, according to Pregame.com. So why have the Vegas book makers — for the most part — held the point spread at the current number for so long? It means that even though the public is betting one side at a substantial rate, the sportsbooks are sure they are on the correct side.

I think both teams will be able to move the ball up and down the field; however, the Rams will be able to do just enough on defense — whether it is sacking Brady or creating turnovers — to pull this one out.