And then, of course, there’s the actual football. On that, I’ll defer to my colleague Ben Shpigel (who certainly knows a lot more than the Super Bowl-predicting giraffe in Nashville — although it did pick the Rams):

In their third season since relocating from St. Louis, the Rams will try to deliver Los Angeles its first football championship since 1984. To do so, they must outlast the New England Patriots, who are appearing in their ninth Super Bowl in 18 seasons.

The Rams’ ascent to the N.F.L. elite, from 4-12 in 2016 to consecutive N.F.C. West titles, traces back to their decision in January 2017 to hire as coach Sean McVay, then all of 30 years old. Across the last two seasons, the Rams have scored the most points in the league and are tied for the most wins, with 24.

McVay has optimized quarterback Jared Goff, a former No. 1 pick, while assembling a strong locker-room culture. With a series of bold personnel moves, General Manager Les Snead has built a formidable core around Goff, defensive tackle Aaron Donald and running back Todd Gurley.

This season, the Rams won their first eight games, and 11 of their first 12, before a late slump — consecutive losses in prime-time, at Chicago and to Philadelphia — coerced them into reshaping their offensive identity. The Rams have since leaned on Gurley and C.J. Anderson, released three times since April, to bully teams with a dynamic running attack.

Anderson is one of only four Rams with Super Bowl experience. The Patriots have 38, including the 41-year-old quarterback Tom Brady, who is bidding for a record sixth Super Bowl win. His first came against the Rams, in Super Bowl XXXVI, 17 years ago Sunday.