The 2020 season was one for the New England Patriots to forget. The team missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008 with a 7-9 record. To make things worse, former quarterback Tom Brady went on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win his seventh Super Bowl.
There’s plenty of debate out there as to whether Bill Belichick would have won those six Super Bowls had it not been for Brady. But whatever people think, it’s clear that Belichick will be back with the Pats in 2021.
The team will need to do something about its offense, as this NFL betting recap shows. The team failed to go over the point total in many of its games this past season.
That 𝙁𝙇𝙔 𝙂𝙐𝙔 feeling ✈
Happy birthday, @Flyguy2stackz! pic.twitter.com/ftIlo5PTXt
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 17, 2021
How They Did on Over/Unders
The New England Patriots had the sixth-worst scoring offense this past season, as the team scored 20.4 points per game. The club had Cam Newton at the quarterback position, and he showed that his days of being the league MVP while with the Carolina Panthers were far behind him.
The Patriots had a relatively effective defense, as they surrendered an average of 22.1 points per game in 2021. The Pats would go 5-11 on the over/under for the season.
The sportsbooks might have put up some lofty totals for the Pats’ games this season because they figured Newton could go back to his old self under Belichick’s system.
But that wasn’t meant to be, as the Pats had a rough time getting anywhere. The team scored ten or fewer points in four games this season, including three against the Los Angeles Rams.
The games where the Patriots did go over the total were ones where the sportsbooks set the total value too low. The Pats’ last game of the season was a 28-14 victory over the New York Jets.
The total for that game was 41. Meanwhile, the Pats’ first game against the Jets also had a low total of 42. That match ended with the Patriots getting a 30-27 win.
Spread Points
The Patriots had a 7-9 ATS record in 2020. The team quickly became an underdog throughout the season. The only games where the team had a substantial spread in their favor were their two games with the New York Jets.
The Patriots had a -9 spread in their home game with the Jets, but they only won that by three points. The Pats did pass the -3 spread in their road game to end the season.
There was one spread highlight for the Patriots, as they pulled off a 23-17 upset against the Baltimore Ravens in early November. The Patriots were at +7 for that game.
What to See in 2021
The Buffalo Bills have taken over the AFC East, and the Miami Dolphins aren’t far behind. The New England Patriots have +480 odds to win the division, behind -170 for the Bills and +280 for the Dolphins.
The Patriots can still take pride in knowing they’re ahead of the New York Jets at +1600. As for Super Bowl LVI, the Pats have a +3700 line to win.
The real question for the Patriots in 2021 involves who will be the team’s starting quarterback. Cam Newton will likely leave on the free agent market.
There have been many rumors surrounding who will be the team’s next quarterback, including rumors that Jimmy Garoppolo might make a return to Foxborough.
But whatever happens, it would be tough to predict what Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft will do this offseason. Expect the Patriots to be active in free agency and to potentially move a few pieces to try and compete again.
Even though the NFL season is over, we will still be keeping our eye on what’s going on! Make sure you check all the latest information on our NFL hub page.
*Odds correct at time of writing.
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