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The New England Patriots found themselves outside of the playoffs in the 2020 season and finished below .500 for the first time since 2000. Bill Belichick’s actions seem to suggest he’s ready for a bounce-back season with the players the Patriots acquired in the offseason while also getting better at key positions through the draft.
We’ll take a look at the latest DraftKings Sportsbook lines and predict if the Patriots can beat their 2021 win total. The odds below are as of June 1, 2021.
AFC East win totals
Buffalo Bills 11 (Over -106, Under -122)
Miami Dolphins 9 (Over -148, Under +120)
New England Patriots 9 (Over -134, Under +110)
New York Jets 6.5 (Over +112, Under -136)
Notable offseason moves
The Patriots somewhat surprisingly re-signed Cam Newton during the offseason, but that did not prevent the franchise from pulling the trigger on former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones, who fell to them in the first round.
New England signed an impressive tight end duo with Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry, and they added linebacker Matt Judon to help improve the defense along with plenty more free agency signings.
Additionally, the Patriots lost a few players who signed with other teams through free agency including left guard Joe Thuney, safety Terrence Brooks, defensive tackle Adam Butler, linebacker Brandon Copeland, cornerback Jason McCourty and wide receiver Damiere Byrd.
New England Patriots prediction: OVER 9
Belichick clearly was frustrated by falling short of the playoffs in 2020 given what he did during the offseason as he spent a ton of money to rebuild the roster at a variety of different positions. After last year’s first season without Tom Brady and a number of players opting out due to COVID-19, it’s fair to expect a nice rebound for the Patriots.
The biggest question mark is going to be at the quarterback position. Newton was re-signed, but Jones is the future of the franchise. When he will get a chance to take over should be interesting to see, and the New England training camp should be one to keep an eye on. Regardless, the Patriots’ offseason upgrades should be enough to get the franchise back into the postseason in the 2021-22 season, so we’ll take the over.
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