Super Bowl 2017 kickoff time for Patriots vs. Falcons: Tom Brady, Bill Belichick aim for 5th title

Kickoff is just hours away on FOX.

Feb 5, 2017, 3:00 PM UTC

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Super Bowl LI is finally here.

Will Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons’ high-flying offense be able to cap off their unlikely yet remarkably awesome season with a Super Bowl victory? Or will Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots cram yet another Lombardi Trophy into their already crowded trophy case and solidify themselves as the greatest dynasty in football history?

In just a few hours, both of those questions will be answered when the two teams kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox.

SB Nation’s experts slightly favor the Falcons, but Vegas thinks the Patriots will win their fifth Super Bowl of the Brady-Belichick era. Conventional wisdom would suggest never betting against New England. But then again, the Falcons have managed to overcome the most drastic of odds on a seemingly weekly basis this season.

Two weeks ago in the NFC Championship, Atlanta’s offense hung 44 points on Green Bay while the defense shut out Aaron Rodgers in the first half.

This time, they’re going up against the Patriots, who have yet to lose a Super Bowl to any team that isn’t the New York Giants and who have not yet lost a game with Dion Lewis on the field. Even without Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots have been unstoppable — players like Chris Hogan, Martellus Bennett, and LeGarrette Blount have stepped up to the plate and performed when called upon.

At its core, this game should be a matchup between Ryan and Brady. Whichever of the two top quarterbacks can outduel the other (a major feat regardless of whichever passer comes out on top) will likely be the guy whose team wins.

It will also be crucial for both defenses to step up and make plays. Atlanta’s defense is young but has really stepped up in the playoffs, holding the Seahawks and Packers to a total of 10 first-half points and making life hard for Russell Wilson and Rodgers. New England’s defense, on the other hand, has been a strength all season and managed to slow down an electric Steelers offense in the AFC Championship.

Just one big defensive play, like Malcolm Butler’s Super Bowl-clinching interception two years ago, could dictate the outcome of this game.