Odds to win division: +130
Odds to win Super Bowl: 19 to 2
People who are not well-versed in betting on the NFL playoffs may keep wondering why the New England Patriots are consistently given great odds to win when the team keeps getting dismantled. The answer is head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. As long as those two are working together in New England, the Patriots will always be NFL betting favorites.
There are a few things that are different in New England for 2010 that may make the task a bit daunting for the Pats. The linebacking corps is nothing like it used to be. Junior Seau and Tedy Bruschi are retired and defensive end Richard Seymour is in Oakland. The most experienced defensive player is eight year man Tully Banta-Cain. The Patriots used to be a perfect mix of experienced defense and effective offense. That balance could be threatened this season.
When he was in college, quarterback Tom Brady had little to do with the results of NCAA football betting. As a professional, Brady is a three-time Super Bowl champion and acknowledged as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. All of that and he is only 33 years old. This season Brady has Randy Moss and former St. Louis Ram receiver Torry Holt to throw to. There is also still Wes Welker up the middle and now veteran Alge Crumpler at tight end. The offensive line is adequate, which means that the Patriots offense has the potential to be as potent as ever.
The question in New England as we work up to NFL week 1 betting, is about the running game. Running back Laurence Maroney was not nearly effective last year as he was in 2007, and some are wondering if he will ever truly recover from his injury that kept him out of most of the 2008 season. As the Patriots tend to do, they will once again turn to a veteran at running back to help out Maroney. Former Jacksonville Jaguar Fred Taylor played in six games last season but only started one. He may get his chance for one last great season as he could be given the ball more often in 2010.
But it all comes down to Belichick and Brady. Put aside the scandals and questions and remember that Brady has an undying devotion to his coach. Belichick and Brady have gone to five Super Bowls together. With that kind of success, you tend to begin to trust in each other’s abilities.
The Patriots do not have the talent they need to go back to the Super Bowl in 2010, but they do have enough to make things interesting in the AFC East. It will be a dogfight in the AFC East between the Jets and the Patriots, and the Jets will probably come out on top. But the Patriots will be in the playoffs when the 2010 season is over, and anything can happen when Belichick and Brady are in the playoffs.
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