Super Bowl: preview, time, odds, teams, half-time show for LA Rams vs New England Patriots in Atlanta

It’s that time of year when getting up early on a Monday morning is not a drag. Asia-based NFL fans are counting down the hours until Super Bowl 53 when the Los Angeles Rams take on the New England Patriots for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The last time the Rams made it to the big show they were based in St Louis and they lost to the Patriots in 2001’s Super Bowl 36 in New Orleans. That was the first New England Super Bowl win but the team has become synonymous with the trophy since. Tom Brady kept it real when asked to compare himself to Lebron James. pic.twitter.com/ZfxCZXk4cR — FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) 29 January 2019 Tom Brady was MVP that day in the Louisiana Superdome and he has made a habit of picking up rings. Now 41, the Pats QB has won five Super Bowls, the most recent of which was two years ago, and he was named MVP in four of his nine Super Bowl appearances. This year is their third consecutive Super Bowl, with the Pats becoming only the third team to reach that milestone. Last time out they lost to the Eagles and they will be looking to put that right on Sunday. Mandarin-speaking Tom Brady and an NFL predicting dog star in New England Patriots’ China-exclusive video series pretty much ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/Zwu3dDNOol — FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) 30 January 2019 When is it? Sunday February 3 in Atlanta, Georgia, means it is early Monday morning in Asia. Kick-off is 7.30am (Hong Kong time). How did the teams get here? The Rams were first in the NFC West after going 13-3 in the regular season. That got them a play-off date with the Dallas Cowboys before the championship game against the New Orleans Saints. The Patriots (11-5) were first in the AFC East before meeting the San Diego Chargers. They then played the Kansas City Chiefs for the championship and another shot at the Super Bowl. Nike defies Trump’s ire by embracing NFL’s kneeling Colin Kaepernick, new face of ‘Just Do It’ campaign 19 years ago today. Super Bowl Champions in Atlanta. : @NFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/RgQ3MbKUeG — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) 30 January 2019 What are the odds? The Patriots are fancied by the bookmakers. A Pats win is $1.70 while the Rams are priced at $2.20. Where is it being played? Atlanta is host to the 63rd edition of America’s biggest single sporting event. The NFL touches down for Super Bowl weekend in the city’s Mercedes Benz Stadium for the first time since it opened in 2017. The home of the Atlanta Falcons is regarded as one of America’s finest arenas and more than 70,000 will be packed in for the Super Bowl experience. It is the city’s third time hosting after 1994 and 2000. This is the first Super Bowl for the Rams since they moved back to Los Angeles in 2016 but the franchise has happy memories of Atlanta. The last time they won the Super Bowl was when “The Greatest Show on Turf” won in Atlanta in 2000. Pac-12 steals a march with China Game but big boys like NFL, Premier League and NBA are sniffing around Who is doing the half-time show? Pop purveyors Maroon 5, Travis Scott and local favourite Big Boi of Outkast have agreed to perform despite criticism from some corners over how the NFL has handled the Colin Kaepernick controversy. Several artists including Rihanna, Cardi B, Adele, Jay-Z and Pink reportedly turned down what was once one of the biggest shows in music. Who is signing the national anthem? Gladys Knight will be belting out the Star Spangled Banner ahead of the game. Patriot’s Tom Brady sets NFL passing touchdown mark in loss to Dolphins Tom Brady kept it real when asked to compare himself to Lebron James. pic.twitter.com/ZfxCZXk4cR — FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) 29 January 2019 What Super Bowl ads have been leaked? The non-sports fan’s favourite part of any Super Bowl is the multi-million dollar ad campaigns unleashed on a captive American audience. Several have already been leaked ahead of Super Bowl Sunday including Harrison Ford taking on Amazon’s Alexa and a Stella Artois mash-up between The Big Lebowski and Sex and The City. Where can I watch it? Many of the city’s bars and restaurants will be opening early for those who want breakfast, booze and the big game atmosphere, but for those who have to work afterwards or prefer to catch the action from the comfort of their couch, Super Bowl 53 will be broadcast on Now Sports 5 (channel 635) starting from 7am. LeBron James on ‘The Shop’: NFL owners are old white men with slave mentality toward players