NFL bad line of the week: Play the Patriots as 'dogs
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It's not every week you can detect a bad line in the NFL. Edges are tough to come by in an efficient market.
However, it's still early in the 2020 season and perhaps we can find an overreaction throughout the early stages of the betting cycle.
Here's the full oddsboard for Week 2.
| Matchup | Line |
|---|---|
| Bengals at Browns | Browns -6 |
| Broncos at Steelers | Steelers -6 |
| Bills at Dolphins | Bills -5.5 |
| Jaguars at Titans | Titans -11 |
| Lions at Packers | Packers -6 |
| Rams at Eagles | Eagles -2.5 |
| Panthers at Buccaneers | Buccaneers -7.5 |
| Giants at Bears | Bears -5.5 |
| Vikings at Colts | Colts -3 |
| Falcons at Cowboys | Cowboys -6 |
| 49ers at Jets | 49ers -6.5 |
| Redskins at Cardinals | Cardinals -7 |
| Chiefs at Chargers | Chiefs -8 |
| Ravens at Texans | Ravens -6.5 |
| Patriots at Seahawks | Seahawks -4 |
| Saints at Raiders | Saints -5.5 |
Bad line of the week - Seahawks -4 (vs. Patriots)
The New England Patriots got the job done Sunday in a 21-11 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Cam Newton rushed the ball 15 times for 75 yards and two scores in his Patriots debut. Overall, New England ran it 42 times, masking a wide receiver corps that leaves a lot to be desired.
It wasn't the most alluring game plan, but I'm not going to doubt head coach Bill Belichick as he rearranges his offensive pieces.
Newton's skill set pales in comparison to Tom Brady's, but this is an offense that can play keep-away if it can get five yards a pop on a designed quarterback dive. There's a higher floor for a unit that can utilize Newton's legs in dire situations.
I guarantee you'll see a similar approach this week on the road at Seattle. New England had the ball for nearly 35 minutes in Week 1 and would love nothing more than to keep quarterback Russell Wilson and Co. on the sidelines.
And when the Seahawks do have the ball, I don't see a ton of solid matchups.
New England cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson will be able to keep Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf in check. The Patriots' defense held Miami to just 4.6 yards per play and didn't skip a beat despite losing some key players from last season.
Four points is way too much to give Belichick. New England is 7-3 against the spread over its last 10 road games, 5-1 ATS during its previous six as road underdogs, and 5-1 ATS over its last six contests played in Week 2. Meanwhile, the Seahawks are 7-2 ATS during their last nine home games and 1-5 ATS over their last six Week 2 contests.
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.