NFL Picks and Predictions: Who will win Super Bowl 53 between the Rams and Patriots

The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t playing in Super Bowl 53, and fans are forced to deal with the stark reality of having to watch the New England Patriots in the big game — again.

Nonetheless, the vast majority of the fan base aren’t just Steelers fans, but football fans. So, picking the winner for games is almost a necessary endeavor for the NFL Playoffs.

So, here we are, and we have to figure out who to pick in the game between the Los Angeles Rams and New England Sunday evening. Let’s get the logistics out of the way before we get to the picks...

The Patriots are giving 2.5 points in this game, with an OVER/UNDER of 56.5 points.

This is the time when myself and my counterpart Simon Chester put our pigskin brains together and make our predictions. We weren’t very good at this during the season and so far the postseason has not been that much better. While still a mediocre 4-6 against the spread, Simon was a respectable 9-1 versus the totals, with my picks against the spread doing slightly better at 6-5 and a less than convincing 4-6 versus the totals.

Time to get to the picks...and don’t forget to vote on your pick in the poll below, as well as leave your own prediction for the big game in the comment section below.

Jeff Hartman’s Pick:

Trust me, I do not want to pick the Patriots. Every ounce of my being can’t stand New England and all they stand for. However, I also realize when you give Bill Belichick an extra week to prepare...it doesn’t normally end well for the opponent. Nonetheless, I can’t get the fact the Patriots have lost a lot of Super Bowl games throughout the incredible stretch. My hope is this game will be close, but I like the Patriots to win their 6th Super Bowl on Sunday.

I’ll take the Patriots straight up, and to cover. And I’ll take the UNDER in this contest.

New England — 27
Los Angeles — 24

Simon Chester’s Pick:

The Patriots are 3-3 in Super Bowls where they have been favorites and 5-5 all-time and I will be looking them to go under .500 against each on Sunday. In light of the struggles that Tom Brady has often shown when faced with a strong defensive front and cornerbacks capable of man coverage, there is a lot to like in the matchup the Rams present the Patriots on defense. If Todd Gurley is healthy and able to add another dimension to the backfield with C.J. Anderson, Los Angeles should have more than enough on offense to move the ball consistently.

I’ll take the Rams outright and with +2.5-points and the under in a contest that could see points at a premium early in the game.

New England — 24
Los Angeles — 30