Oddsmakers aren’t any higher on the New England Patriots after the elevation of rookie Drake Maye, who will replace veteran Jacoby Brissett as the team’s starting quarterback.
To the contrary, actually, as the Patriots have a lower projected win total entering Week 6 than they did the week prior.
FanDuel Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook and BetMGM all have the Patriots with a projected win total of 4.5. New England had a projected win total of 5.5 at BetMGM last week as it entered a clash against the lowly Miami Dolphins.
It’s probably not fair to blame the rookie quarterback exclusively for the shift. After all, the Patriots blew a winnable contest to the third-string quarterback Tyler Huntley and the Dolphins. New England was a small home favorite entering the contest, which is likely to be the only game Jerod Mayo’s team is favored in this season, and chances are bookmakers were counting that one as a victory.
Oddsmakers aren’t the only ones down on the Patriots, of course. The betting public can’t stop firing on New England’s Under. The Patriots represent one of the most popular wagers at BetMGM with 89% of the handle (!) and 66% of tickets on the Under.
With that said, if you’re a believer in Maye, there might not be a better time to get in on the Patriots. A win or two in the next month — 4-1 Houston Texans, 1-4 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2-3 New York Jets, 1-3 Tennessee Titans, 3-2 Chicago Bears — likely would change things.
