New England Patriots NFL Betting Odds

2010 Season

Last season the New England Patriots chalked up a near perfect regular season, finishing on an impressive 14-2 to breeze into the playoffs. They were, however, knocked out by divisional rivals the New York Jets in the AFC Divisional playoffs, which put paid to their Super Bowl XLV hopes and dreams. The good news, however, is that there were very few aspects of the Patriots' game that needed repairing.

2011 Off Season

The great thing about the New England Patriots is that like sharks they keep on moving forward, and the 2011 off season was no exception. Of all the NFL teams, New England was one of few that could rest on its laurels. But head coach Bill Belichick had other ideas. To help bolster the Patriots' offensive, he snapped up free agents WR Chad Ochocinco and DT Albert Haynesworth, and is determined to bring out their A-games this season. And to bolster the team's defense, he used the 2011 Draft to secure DB Ras-I Dowling, to add some depth as a cover corner.

2011 Preview

American football is fickle, and even the best players are only as good as their last season. Take Patriots' starting QB Tom Brady. Going into last season, many NFL betting fans questioned if his star was starting to wane, seeing that he didn't play as well the season before as in other seasons. But then he delivered a dazzling MVP performance, racking up 36 TD passes and 3,900 passing yards, and completing 65.9 percent of his throws to earn himself a quarterback rating of 111.0. And so with Brady reportedly in top shape, there is no reason he and the rest of the offensive lineup can't deliver more of the same this season. Defensively, the addition of Dowling is should iron out the team's annoying habit of giving up too many yards at a time. So the Patriots are in the pound seats going into the new season.

2011 Prediction

There was probably no one more surprised that the New England Patriots got knocked out of last year's playoffs than the New England Patriots themselves, considering they played an almost perfect season to get to that game. The point is that anything can and does happen in football. And while on paper the Patriots should start the 2011/12 NFL season even better prepared than last season, the big NFL betting question is whether they can play up to the hype?

**Our Pick

The New England Patriots will go into the 2011/12 NFL season well-backed and for good reason considering their recent record, and the fact they are playing like a cohesive, well-oiled unit. And provided they can keep fellow AFC East division rivals the New York Jets at bay, there is little stopping them from finishing top of the division, say on 13-3, en route to the playoffs and even the Super Bowl.