Many critics had the Houston Texans pegged as online NFL betting favorites over the New England Patriots in Week 3. It might have been a slim margin, but the Texans were the favored team nonetheless. At first it seemed like an understandable prediction. The Texans have a load of talent and New England was calling upon their 3rd string quarterback. But now that the game is over it’s clear that the Patriots are a much better team, regardless of who they have at quarterback, but hey hindsight is 20/20. Going into this game there weren’t any questions regarding the Patriots defense, but it was still surprising to see them hold Houston to 0 points. Equally as surprising was how well Jacoby Brissett the man filling in under center, performed. You wouldn’t know this by looking at the 72.9 passer rating Brissett had against Houston, but the rookie was still able to step in and efficiently run New England’s offense. Brissett will once again be starting for the Patriots against their Week 4 opponent, the Buffalo Bills. What do the odds across most football betting sites have to say about the Brissett-led Patriots this time?
Week 4 – Sunday the 2nd of October
New England Patriots -5 ½ (-110) 42 (-110)
Buffalo Bills +5 ½ (-115) 42 (-110)
The Patriots are pegged as the favorites over their division rivals. What else can you expect after seeing the performance New England has been delivering so far this season? The Patriots opened 2016 by traveling to Arizona and facing off against a team many online NFL betting fans had picked as a Super Bowl contender.. Without their star quarterback, without Gronk, and even facing a couple of injuries, the Patriots were still able to overcome the reigning NFC West champions. Jimmy Garoppolo, the 3rd year quarterback out of Eastern Illinois, was filling in for Brady and did more than a marvelous job. In Week 1 Garoppolo would completed 24/33 passes for 264 yards, 1 touchdown, and a 106.1 passer rating, in the Pats 23-21 win over Arizona. The following week Garoppolo would sustain a shoulder injury in the game against the Dolphins. But before he got carted off the field, Garoppolo put up some impressive numbers, completing 18/27 passes for 234 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a jaw-dropping 130.8 passer rating. After Garoppolo’s departure, the Patriots managed to hang on against the Dolphins and won 31-24. The Patriots offense wasn’t quite as explosive without Garoppolo, but Brissett was still able to step in and take some time off the clock. Going into Thursday night’s matchup against the Texans no one was quite sure what to expect from the rookie out of NC State, but his performance has hailed cheers from even the harshest online NFL betting critics.
Brissett didn’t stand out on paper, but he certainly did to anyone who tuned in and watched him play. Although many of the Patriots drives ended in field goals or punts, Brissett was still able to maintain control of the ball, and he helped New England win the time-of-possession battle. The Bills defense ranks near the bottom of the league in every stat imaginable, so Brissett shouldn’t have a hard time filling in this Week. This is the last week the Pats will be without Brady, and it’ll be interesting to see how much #12’s return impacts New England’s online NFL betting odds.
