Patriots Enter Week One as Longshots to Win AFC East

The NFL regular season is here! Week one begins on Thursday night with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs welcoming the Detroit Lions to Arrowhead Stadium.

“Defending Super Bowl champions” was a title the Patriots donned six times since 2001. Now, however, they’re the longest shots on the board to win their division.

Here are the odds to win the AFC East, according to FanDuel Sportsbook:

Odds to win AFC East

Buffalo Bills                            +120

New York Jets                        +250

Miami Dolphins                     +290

New England Patriots          +800

The Bills are the favorites at +120. They’ve won the division each of the last three seasons since Tom Brady left the Patriots and while some pundits are predicting a return-to-earth type of season for Buffalo, they’re once again posted for success with quarterback Josh Allen at the helm. Not only does he have Stefon Diggs to throw to on offense, but they have one of the better defenses in football led by Matt Milano in the middle and Tre’davious White in the back end. Following a stint on PUP, they’ll return defensive end Von Miller as well.

The Jets (+250) hold the second most likely odds and after the acquisition of Aaron Rodgers this offseason, may even be deserving of the top spot. Head coach Robert Saleh’s defense in 2022 was already top-tier tier and now that he has Rodgers facilitating his offense instead of Zach Wilson, expect big things from the green and white.

Quarterback Tua Tagoavailoa will make or break the Dolphins, who have +290 odds to win the division according to FanDuel. The lefty signal-caller, who is lucky enough to be able to sling the ball to the likes of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, is great when healthy – but has dealt with concussions over the last several seasons and is likely one more serious hit away from a legitimate contemplation of retirement.  As for the rest of the squad, they added Jalen Ramsey (who is on injured reserve for four games) and return the likes of Bradley Chubb, Xavien Howard, and Jevon Holland. They’ll be fine on the defensive side of the ball.

Then there’s the Patriots (+800). While New England’s 2022 season was probably thought to be the worst one ever, they still somehow wound up 8-9 and controlled their own destiny towards a postseason birth in Week 18. While they should certainly improve and may even fight for a playoff spot at the end of the season once again, I don’t see them finishing at the top of this gauntlet.

The Pick: New York Jets (+250) I’ve been fully cast by the Hard Knocks spell.

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick and head to FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook, for all of your sports wagering.