New England Patriots Betting Odds

New England Patriots Betting Odds

Back for another go

Last year the Patriots earned their 9th consecutive AFC East title en route to their 10th Super Bowl appearance, where they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 41-33. For any other team that would have constituted a successful season, but for the uber-competitive Patriots, it was not enough. This season the Patriots come back to the gridiron missing some key pieces from last year. The biggest hit is on the sidelines, as Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia left to take the head coaching job with the Detroit Lions. Even with the changes on and off the field, the New England Patriots betting outlook for 2018 looks very much the same as before; they are among the league favorites to win their division and make another run at another Super Bowl.

Departures

Among the players that left on defense are cornerbacks Malcom Butler and Jonson Bademosi. There was some controversy surrounding Butler in the 2017 postseason; he was unexpectedly benched in the playoffs even though he was a major contributor to the Patriots' two previous Super Bowl wins. On offense, they are parting with offensive tackles Nate Solder and Cameron Fleming, wide receivers Danny Amendola and Brandin Cooks, and running back Deon Lewis. They also got rid of backup QC Jimmy Garoppolo, trading him to the 49ers for a 2nd round draft pick. Although these are more severe losses than what they have had in prior offseasons, Patriots betting odds are still among the league’s best going into 2018. For more information on open lines, be sure to check our NFL Sportsbook

Arrivals

In prior offseasons, the Patriots have had luck in free-agent market, signing effective players for cheap. This year they re-signed WR Julian Edelman and picked up cornerback Jason McCorty. McCourty will likely get the starting job at cornerback, although it has been reported that he has not been participating in drills during training camp. It could be that the Patriots know what they have in veteran McCourty, and are testing out other options at the position. Edelman meanwhile failed a drug test recently and was suspended for the first four games of the season. He is appealing the decision. With the Patriots lacking depth at WR, Edelman's absence during those four games could be very detrimental to the team. Another pressing question is who is taking Nate Solder's place. Solder signed with the Giants earlier this year. So the Patriots do not have left tackle, and it is concerning that they don't have a clear candidate to fill that position yet. With former all pro Marcus Cannon on the right side along with LaAdrian Waddle, the left position is up for grabs.

Crazy for Brady

For the past couple of years, there has been wild speculation over when Tom Brady is going to retire. He is currently 40 years old and has two years left on his contract. While he has not reported for training camp yet, he is expected to start at the beginning of the season. No matter what happens, it appears he wants to at least make it to another Super Bowl before he retires. In a 2017 interview with Oprah, he said he wanted "two more Super Bowls", so counting the 2018 contest that leaves one more. If Brady's statement is true, this could be his last season. Brady carries a lot of weight for this team, and between losing a difficult Super Bowl last year and pressure to carry his team this season, there is speculation if this is too much on Brady and if the Patriots fall off in terms of success this year.