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Posts Tagged ‘New England Patriots’

January 9th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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There has been a ton of talking between the New York Jets and the rest of the NFL, and this week, you know that there is going to be a lot of jabber going back and forth with their divisional rivals, the New England Patriots. These two teams split the NFL betting proceedings in the regular season, and today, we are taking aim at our NFL picks for the final game of the weekend.

Matchup: New York Jets @ New England Patriots
Date: Sunday, January 15th, 4:30 ET
Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
Game Line: New England +9
Over/Under 45.5

Jets Notes: It should be interesting to see whether the Jets are going to stick to their run first attack or not this weekend. Head Coach Rex Ryan knows that New England's pass defense can be porous (more on that in a moment), but its ground game was devastated a few times this year as well. RBs LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene probably didn't get enough carries this season, as the two only just barely exceeded 400 carries and didn't come anywhere near 500 total touches as expected. However, in that first playoff game, they had 35 carries and 39 total touches for 152 yards combined (169 if you include Tomlinson's 17 receiving yards), and LT ended up with two TDs, both of which came in the second half of the win against the Indianapolis Colts. The confidence level for QB Mark Sanchez really could have been shattered in the first half of that game, as he was picked off in the end zone to ensure that New York would be shut out in the first 30 minutes. However, when all of the marbles were really on the line in the fourth quarter with less than a minute to play, Ryan called Sanchez's number, letting him throw the ball to WR Braylon Edwards on the final offensive play of the game. The ball was complete, and K Nick Folk ended up with a significantly easier job to win the game. The Jets know that they did a fantastic job keeping Indy down to just 16 first downs and 312 total yards on the day, but their defense is going to have to put forth an even better effort to hold the Pats to such numbers on Saturday.

Patriots Notes: New England has confidence coming into this one, knowing that it scored 45 points in a complete romp when these two teams met up at Gillette Stadium earlier this year. It knows that it has an offense that is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best in the NFL. For the last eight weeks of the season, there were definitely some shades of the undefeated regular season, as the Pats scored at least 31 points in all of their games to bump up their scoring average for the year beyond 32 points per game. QB Tom Brady is, without a shadow of a doubt, the league's MVP this year, as he threw for 36 TDs against just four picks and threw for 3,900 yards. Though his numbers don't necessarily suggest it, Brady probably had just as good of a season this year as in that perfect season in which he threw 50 TD passes and broke virtually every record in the books. He could be hampered if TE Aaron Hernandez is kept out of the lineup in this one, as Hernandez was one of the top pass catchers on this team and made a great sidekick for fellow rookie TE Rob Gronkowski. The two had almost 90 catches this year and had 16 TDs. The difference between this year and in 2007 is that RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis is a legitimate superstar on the ground. He had 1,008 yards and 13 TDs this year, and he had a great complement in RB Danny Woodhead. The problem, if there is one, is that aforementioned defense, which ranked just No. 25 in the league at 366.5 yards per game and was third to last in the league in pass defense at 258.5 yards per game. Still, New England overcame that all season this year and only had two losses, though one of the two did come against these Jets.

The Final Word: Be very, very careful, New England. The layoff might not be what the doctor ordered for the perceived best team in the NFL. New York is the real deal, and there is a reason that this team won two more games in the regular season this year than it did last season. Eleven wins teams don't go down without a fight in the playoffs, and you can bet that this is going to be no exception. The Jets could pull off the tremendous upset in this game as well, just like they did last year against the San Diego Chargers in this exact same spot.

Free Pro Football Picks: New York Jets +9
Prediction: New York 20 – New England 19

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December 5th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Coming into Week 13, the New York Jets and New England Patriots were tied for the best record in the NFL at 9-2, and they are the only two in the AFC with these marks. They'll meet on Monday Night Football in one of the most highly anticipated clashes of the entire regular season. The winner will have the inside track to the No. 1 seed in the playoffs in the AFC, while the loser knows that there is a lot of work and help that needs to be done and had to avoid having to play three road games to get to the Super Bowl this winter.

Matchup: New York Jets @ New England Patriots
Date: Monday, December 6th, 8:30 ET
Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
Game Line: New England -3.5
Over/Under 45


Jets Notes: New York could argue that it has the upper hand in this game due to the fact that it has already proven that it is good enough to beat up the Pats at home this year. The 28-14 win was a thing of beauty, especially for QB Mark Sanchez, who threw for 220 yards and three TDs, but more importantly, no picks. Those INTs have really come back to bite him in the rear in recent weeks, as all eight of his mistakes have come in that stretch, but the Jets have been able to survive that with just one defeat. "The Sanchise" has guided the men in green to five wins without a defeat on the road this year, and his numbers are significantly better in Year No. 2 than they were when he was a rookie last campaign. Sanchez has completed 55.2 percent of his pass attempts for 2,459 yards and 16 scores against eight INTs. He also has significantly more weapons to work with this year. WR Braylon Edwards had a full year of camp to work with Sanchez this year, and he has 35 receptions for 618 yards and a team high six scores to show for it, while second year TE Dustin Keller is really emerging as a sophomore in the ranks of the NFL as well with 39 catches for 528 yards and five TDs. WR Santonio Holmes has at least five catches in five straight games, while WR Jerricho Cotchery should be back in the fold this week after sitting out the last two with an injured groin. Add into the mix the fact that RB LaDainian Tomlinson has 45 catches for 316 yards, and it is clear that Sanchez has a ton to work with. Tomlinson is also the team's leader on the ground with 733 yards and five scores, but he hasn't averaged even four yards per carry on the ground for a game since Week 5 in the season. RB Shonn Greene has been a big disappointment this year at just 575 yards and one TD.

Patriots Notes: Just as the Jets have been perfect on the road this year, so too, have the Pats been perfect at home. New England is 5-0 at Gillette Stadium this season, including tough home wins against the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens. Statistically, Head Coach Bill Belichick knows that he has been fortunate this year, as his team continues to find ways to win games in spite of the fact that his defense ranks No. 31 overall at 399.1 yards per game and dead last against the pass at 288.5 yards per game. The offense is uncharacteristically getting outdone by 50 yards per game, and there isn't a category on this side of the ball in which this team has been dominating… except where it really counts. On the scoreboard, New England has put up 30.4 points per game, easily tops in the league. QB Tom Brady is putting up numbers making him worthy of MVP consideration this season. He has completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 2,703 yards with 23 scores against just four INTs. Half of those four picks came in Week 2 though, against these very same Jets. Brady has done a great job spreading the football around, as he has six different receivers on his team that have at least 230 yards and 18 receptions this year. As always, his leading target is WR Wes Welker, who has 65 catches for 592 yards and six scores. TE Rob Gronkowski is starting to get involved a lot more of late, as he has really replaced TE Aaron Hernandez as the top rookie tight end man for Brady to find, especially near the end zone. On the ground, RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis leads the team with 627 yards and a team best nine scores, but don't be shocked if RB Danny Woodhead gets called upon a lot in this one. Woodhead was a Jet through Week 2 this year, and he was picked up due to all of the running back injuries that the team incurred over the course of the first few weeks. He has rushed for 344 yards and caught 24 passes for 230 yards, and especially since he was let go by New York, you know that Belichick would love to let Woodhead get some sweet revenge on Monday Night Football.

The Final Word: The Patriots might be the perfect team at home in this one, but that doesn't mean that the Jets aren't going to have the last say when it is said and done. Sanchez and the Jets just keep finding ways to win games, and when it all really boils down, we expect to see that the New York defense is going to outperform the New England defense. If the Jets can force a few turnovers and get into the face of Brady, this one could be the slugfest that they really, truly want. If that's the case, Head Coach Rex Ryan will find a way to get his team to come out of this one with a season changing victory.

Free Pro Football Picks: New York +3.5
Prediction: New York 23 – New England 20

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November 25th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The New England Patriots will be putting the best record in the NFL on the line on Thanksgiving Day this week, as they pay a visit to the stingy Detroit Lions in their annual Thanksgiving Day NFL betting battle.

Matchup: New England Patriots @ Detroit Lions
Date: Thursday, November 25th, 12:30 ET
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
Game Line: Detroit +6.5
Over/Under 50.5

Patriots Notes: The Patriots have struggled at times this season on the road, as they were defeated by the Cleveland Browns two weeks ago. They also tend to play to the level of their opponent, something that championship teams tend to not do. Still, New England is at 8-2 after ten games and has to feel like a playoff spot really has been locked down, especially if it can win this one. QB Tom Brady is coming off of a pedestrian game against the Indianapolis Colts in which he didn't even make it to 200 yards passing, but his numbers this year still suggest him being an MVP candidate. Brady has thrown for 2,362 yards and 19 scores against just four picks in 2010. His running game might get a boost this week as well, as RB Fred Taylor might be returning from a toe injury that has kept him out of the lineup for the last two months. In the interim, RB Danny Woodhead and RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis have done their job, combining to rush for 879 yards and ten scores. Keep a close eye on the two rookie tight ends that Brady has to work with as well. TE Aaron Hernandez is second on the team in receptions with 35 and yards with 444, and he has found pay dirt three times. No one has scored more through the air this year than TE Rob Gronkowski though, as he has six scores on his 20 receptions. Defensively, New England is struggling, allowing 398.4 yards and 24.2 points per game. The first number is the third worst mark in the NFL, but is countered by an offense that is scoring a league best 28.9 points per game.

Lions Notes: Detroit may have had a lot of fight in its tank early in the season, but back to back failed attempts at covering the NFL odds have really hampered its progress. Playing without QB Matt Stafford has really hurt, and though backup QB Shaun Hill has potentially proven that he can earn back a starting job with another team next year, he just isn't good enough to lead a very young offense to wins on a regular basis. Hill has 1,921 passing yards and a dozen scores against nine INTs on the campaign. His biggest problem is going to be figuring out who to turn around and hand the ball to. RB Jahvid Best is out of the lineup with turf toe, and there isn't another player on this team that has more than 21 carries for the season. RB Maurice Morris is likely to get the nod, but he only has 41 yards on 21 carries this season. The Lions only have five rushing touchdowns this year, and Best and Stafford have accounted for all five. Though this is a defense that is improving, there are still some major problems to be worked out. The Lions have allowed at least 24 points six times this year and have given up at least 35 twice. Unless that really improves dramatically, the men from the Motor City are going to continue losing games.

The Final Word: It's kind of cool looking at how polar opposite these teams really have been over the years since their last meeting here in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day in 2002. The Pats have a pair of Super Bowl rings and an undefeated regular season, while the Lions haven't even sniffed the playoffs and have an 0-16 campaign under their belts. Though we know that Detroit isn't as bad as its 2-8 record and that New England isn't as good as its 8-2 record, we also know that the Lions are 0-6 SU and ATS over the last six years on Thanksgiving Day, and with such a great team coming to town, there is no way that they are going to be able to fend off a near certain defeat that will probably come by at least two scores, if not more.

Free Pro Football Picks: New England -6.5
Prediction: New England 34 – Detroit 18

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October 3rd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Miami Dolphins will look to avoid a second straight NFL betting defeat at home against a divisional rival when they take on the New England Patriots on MNF.

Matchup: New England Patriots @ Chicago Bears
Date: Monday, October 3rd, 8:30 ET
Location: Sun Life Stadium, Miami, FL
Game Line: Miami +1
Over/Under 47.5

Patriots Notes: There's good news and bad news if you're HC Bill Belichick. The good news is that your offense is kicking on all cylinders right now. The Patriots are averaging 30.0 points per game this year, which is the top mark in the NFL heading into Week 4 betting action. The team is averaging a very solid 370.7 yards per game, which is seventh in the league, while the balance between rush and pass has surprisingly been fairly even, as both rank 10th in the NFL. That running game has really had a ton of different rushers this year, but the two leads have been RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis and RB Fred Taylor. Green-Ellis has come out of nowhere to run for 139 yards on 31 carries. Taylor, likely a future Hall of Famer, has 98 yards on 25 runs this year. Taylor's next TD will be the 75th of his illustrious career, and he is likely to get to the 12,000 yard mark on the ground at some point this season. Of course, there's QB Tom Brady as well, who is still throwing lasers all over the field. With two rookie tight ends to play with, Brady is getting used to his new toys, and he is utilizing them well. TE Aaron Hernandez leads the team with 211 yards receiving this year, while TE Rob Gronkowski has five catches for 58 yards and two TDs. Brady's other six TD passes are split evenly between his usual targets, WR Wes Welker and WR Randy Moss. However, remember that we discussed some bad news as well… The defense for New England is conceding 27.3 points per game, which is the fourth worst mark in the league. All three foes have scored at least 24 points against the Patriots this year, something that certainly isn't going to make Belichick and his staff happy.

Dolphins Notes: All things told, HC Tony Sparano has to be pretty happy with the 2-1 start to the season for his Fins both SU and ATS. Last week's 31-23 loss to the New York Jets had to leave a bitter taste in their mouths, though. Don't be shocked to see QB Chad Henne throw the ball a little bit more in this game than perhaps you are used to. Henne has found a really rapport with WR Brandon Marshall this year, as the former Denver Bronco leads the team with 22 catches and 290 yards. He has one of the three TD passes on the year from Henne. The real bad news for Sparano's offense right now is that the unit has only come up with four total TDs. RB Ricky Williams has yet to find the end zone this season, and RB Ronnie Brown only has one score. The two backs in this system are only averaging just over 100 yards per game on the ground this year, numbers which just aren't going to cut it. The defense for Miami has been stellar though, ranking in the top half of the NFL in virtually every important category. Watch out for DE Cameron Wake, who is becoming almost as much of a sack master here in the NFL as he was when he was in the CFL playing for the BC Lions. Wake has two sacks this year, and he has had his hands in on several other quarterback pressures.

The Final Word: The Dolphins just cannot afford to drop this one and Sparano knows it. The defense for New England is too much of a sieve right now for anyone to do anything against, and when push comes to shove, the Pats just aren't going to be able to come up with the big stop at the end of the game. Too much Henne. Too much Marshall. Too much Brown. Too much Miami.

Free College Football Picks: Miami +1
Prediction: Miami 23 – New England 21

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September 6th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The NFL betting campaign is just about here! In order to get you revved up for the action beginning on Thursday night, we are making our playoff picks here at Cappers Info! (Odds to make the playoffs courtesy of BetUS Sportsbook)


Complete List of Odds to Make the Playoffs Can be Found Below

 

In the AFC, we reasonably probably have three teams fighting for two playoff berths in the AFC East and two teams fighting for one playoff berth in the AFC South unless someone can come out of nowhere in the AFC North or West. Simply put, the San Diego Chargers (-700 at BetUS Sportsbook) and the Baltimore Ravens (-200 at BetUS Sportsbook) are getting into the playoffs as division winners. Both of these teams are likely head and shoulders above the rest of their competition in their respective divisions, and neither should face a challenge. Yes, this means that we feel as though the Steelers, Bengals, and Browns are pretty much out of luck in 2010.

The three teams in the AFC East to watch are the New England Patriots (-175 at BetUS Sportsbook) and the Miami Dolphins (+140 at BetUS Sportsbook). We realize that we are conventionally leaving out the Jets from this equation, but we just don't have all that much confidence in QB Mark Sanchez and we tend to believe that someone is going to figure out how to beat this defense at some point. The Pats came out of the blocks in the preseason incredibly angry. We know that their offense is amazing, as the starters just continued to run up and down the field on just about everyone that they ran into. The questions are on defense. Still, we can't picture a Bill Belichick team getting left home from the postseason for the second time in three years. Miami is a trendy sleeper this year and for good reason. If RBs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams can stay healthy, the Fins are clearly better than last year's team that narrowly missed out on the postseason. HC Tony Sparano is a great manager on the sidelines, and he is going to get Miami back to the playoffs once again this year. 

Reasonably speaking, the Indianapolis Colts (-250 at BetUS Sportsbook) are going to get to the playoffs. The only way that doesn't happen is if something really happens to QB Peyton Manning that keeps him out of the playoffs for a lengthy period of time. That being said, the Houston Texans (+120 at BetUS Sportsbook) should get into the dance this year. This is a make or break season for a franchise that was just on the verge of making special things happen last year. They won their final four games of last season to be knocking at the postseason door, and this is the year that QB Matt Schaub and company kick it down. It's going to be a year of second guessing for the Titans, who might win ten games but fall just short of the playoffs.

In the NFC, things are significantly harder to decipher. The East probably has three contenders this year, and we tend to believe that two of the three are going to find their way to the playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys (-200 at BetUS Sportsbook) might be the best team in the NFC if QB Tony Romo keeps his head on straight. We tend to like what we have seen so far from the New York Giants (+100 at BetUS Sportsbook) as well. At some point, QB Eli Manning is going to put this team on his back and become one of those truly elite competitors at this level. The Giants should be fine. This leaves the Eagles on the outside looking in for the first time in seemingly forever. 

In the North, we are convinced that the Green Bay Packers (-200 at BetUS Sportsbook) are even better than they were last season when they went 11-5 and ended up as a Wild Card out of this division. The West and South we are handing to the San Francisco 49ers (-175 at BetUS Sportsbook) and the defending champions, the New Orleans Saints (-250 at BetUS Sportsbook) respectively.

This basically leaves us with the Eagles (whom we already deemed out of the mix with their new QB Kevin Kolb taking some lumps this year), Vikings, and Falcons fighting for one playoff spot. Minnesota might have QB Brett Favre back, but is there really any hope for him limiting his interceptions this year? Besides, that 40 year old body is going to take a huge beating once again in front of an offensive line that is starting to have some question marks, and we aren't so sure that even Favre, the consummate ironman in this league, is going to figure out how to make it through this season. That leaves the Atlanta Falcons (-120 at BetUS Sportsbook) to finish up the postseason roster. RB Michael Turner has to be in for a better season this year than he had a year ago, as 1,000 yards should be the bare minimum for this fantastic back. QB Matt Ryan is only getting better as well. There should be four slam dunk wins in the division against Carolina and Tampa Bay. The only question mark is whether the defense is good enough to put games away or not. The addition of DB Dunta Robinson should really help. We love the red and black getting back to the postseason.


Odds To Make the NFL Playoffs @ BetUS Sportsbook… Get a 100% Deposit Bonus Just By Clicking Here

Pittsburgh Steelers -120 
New England Patriots -175
Dallas Cowboys -200
New York Giants +100
Indianapolis Colts -250
San Diego Chargers -700
Baltimore Ravens -200
Philadelphia Eagles -110
New Orleans Saints -250
Minnesota Vikings -200
Carolina Panthers +300
Tennessee Titans +150
Atlanta Falcons -120
Green Bay Packers -200
Denver Broncos +300
Jacksonville Jaguars +325
Arizona Cardinals +165
New York Jets -175
Miami Dolphins +140
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +550
Buffalo Bills +650
Chicago Bears +175
Washington Redskins +175
Seattle Seahawks +225
Houston Texans +120
San Francisco 49ers -175
Cleveland Browns +600
Oakland Raiders +350
Cincinnati Bengals +160
St. Louis Rams +650
Detroit Lions +600
Kansas City Chiefs +375

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August 18th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Two of the powers in the National Football League duke it out in an intra conference NFL preseason betting affair between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots.

New England Patriots @ Atlanta Falcons (-2.5)
Thursday, August 19th
8:00 ET, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA

Patriots Notes: QB Tom Brady is going to be the most watched man for New England this week if he plays. The leader of the Brady Bunch injured his finger in last weekend's victory over the defending champions, the New Orleans Saints. The injury isn't considered anything to worry about, but Brady might still not get a chance to suit it up, and if he does, it probably won't be for long. The bigger question is going to be who gets the reps at running back. Laurence Maroney might be seeing his time as a starter dwindling down to nothing. BenJarvus Green-Ellis might be taking over sooner than later, as he is proving to run the ball effectively throughout camp and so far in the young preseason. WR Julian Edelman will inevitably be a focal point once again, as he caught six passes for 90 yards last week. Edelman has a great chance to be the second or third wide receiver on this team this year depending on the health of WR Wes Welker. Defensively, a number of things are going to have to change to make HC Bill Belichick happy, as he doesn't want to see his 'D' giving up 24 points (even if a touchdown did come via special teams) during any game, let alone a preseason one.

Falcons Notes: The Falcons are a banged up bunch right now, especially at the wide receiver position. Don't expect to see either Michael Jenkins or Harry Douglas in action for the second straight week. That's going to make things a tad more difficult for QB Matt Ryan and his reserves. Last week in a 20-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs at home, Atlanta only mustered a total of 244 yards. Reserve RB Jerious Norwood didn't play and might not again this week. That's going to put more pressure on players like Jason Snelling, who ran last week 11 times for just 24 yards to pick up the slack. The Falcons defense put forth a solid effort though, holding KC to just 273 yards, just 143 of which were through the air. The only touchdown the team gave up was with 0:18 left in the game on a Tyler Palko rush. The Falcons picked off two passes, which was a huge bone of contention last year. Atlanta had one of the worst secondaries in the NFL last year, but things are already off to a good start this season.

The Final Word: Why the Falcons aren't favored by more than a field goal is beyond us. The Patriots, especially if Brady doesn't play, aren't anything special. The Falcons are clearly playing like a team on a mission right now on defense, so we don't see much coming in the way of scoring for the visitors. If the offense for the men in black and red can produce a couple TDs and a couple FGs, they should be just fine. Back Atlanta on Thursday night.

Prediction: Falcons 20 – New England 9

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August 10th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The NFL betting campaign is getting ready to get underway, and here at Cappers Info, we have five teams on the slate to watch out for that could be tremendous teams to back the 'over' on the season win totals!

Baltimore Ravens over 10 (-125 @ Brobury Sports):  The Ravens could be the class of, not just the AFC North, but the entire NFL as well. The addition of WR Anquan Boldin gives QB Joe Flacco a second huge weapon at his disposal to go with WR Derrick Mason. Two of the top receiving tight ends in this year's NFL Draft were also acquired in the forms of Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson. With TE Todd Heap reaching the latter stages in his career, these two could both step in and make an impact with a ton of reps. As always, RBs Ray Rice and Willis McGahee are going to make up a feared rushing attack. The idea of this offense racking up 6,500 yards of production on the season is totally believable. On the other side of the pigskin, DT Terrence Cody is going to pair with DT Haloti Ngata to make one of the biggest tackle duos in the game. LB Sergio Kindle should make a nice complement for LB Ray Lewis in the middle of the 3-4 defense. Parlay that with a schedule that features almost certainly given wins against Cleveland (twice), Buffalo, Miami, and Tampa Bay, and the idea of reaching at least 11 wins seems like a given, especially if the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to end up having a down year.

Detroit Lions over 5 (-135 @ Brobury Sports):  Call us crazy, but the Lions are going to have a decent chance to compete in the NFC North this year. The weapons on offense for Detroit are starting to resemble that of the best teams in the league. QB Matthew Stafford took a huge jump last year, and many think he could be amongst the elite signal callers in the NFC and soon. HC Jim Schwartz gave him a new weapon on offense with his second first round draft selection of RB Jahvid Best, who could be good for 70 yards every time he touches the football. Yes, the defense in the Motor City is still a mess, but DT Ndamukong Suh can only help out. The NFC North could get a lot more interesting if QB Brett Favre doesn't return to the Vikings, so there really could be a couple divisional wins this year. There are very winnable games against St. Louis, Washington, Buffalo, and Tampa Bay well. Seeing this squad get to seven wins could be a real possibility with an upset or two. We don't see any way that the Lions are stuck on just four as long as they stay relatively healthy.

New England Patriots over 9.5 (-150 @ Brobury Sports):  The Brady Bunch is back and should be efficient once again this season. We tend to think that New England is getting disrespected as the second choice in the AFC East, and though divisional play will be tough, there are certainly plenty of reasons to think that there will be at least ten wins in the future of the Pats this year. QB Tom Brady is still one of the best in the biz, and until further notice, WR Randy Moss is still one of the best receivers this game has to offer. No, the defense for New England isn't as strong as it once was, but that doesn't mean that this is an incompetent unit. Especially if WR Wes Welker is really healthy going into the regular season, this win total should be a given. There should be a bare minimum of four wins in divisional play, and aside from that, games against teams like Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, and potentially Minnesota should be givens as well. We tend to believe that the mastermind known as Bill Belichick is going to find a way to scratch two more wins together somewhere on this schedule.

Oakland Raiders over 6 (-150 @ Brobury Sports):  Raider Nation is about to get a real shot in the arm. Oakland plays in the most atrocious division known to man in the AFC West, making for four very winnable games against Denver and Kansas City. There is a new signal caller in town in the form of QB Jason Campbell, and though he will be playing for his sixth different offensive coordinator in as many years of football, he is a dramatic upgrade on the garbage that the silver and black have had in recent years. Owner Al Davis also finally made a fantastic move on draft day, picking up LB Rolando McClain from Alabama to be the new captain of his defense. McClain is a tackling machine and has a high motor, and those traits will sit well in the Black Hole. A third place schedule sets up a lot of great potential matchups, and four games against the putrid NFC West foes could set up a ton of victories as well. No, playing the AFC South won't be fun, but we tend to believe that even an 0-4 showing can still yield seven wins on the season. The Raiders certainly aren't going backwards from last year's 5-11 record, so the worst case scenario should be a push.

San Diego Chargers over 11 wins (+140 @ Brobury Sports):  We'd feel a bit better about laying some chalk at 10.5 wins, but getting this type of price on 11, knowing that an 11-5 mark is a push is just fine with us. Let's get one thing straight first: The Chargers aren't as good this year as they were last year. You don't lose a future Hall of Famer in RB LaDainian Tomlinson and one of the best corners in the game in Antonio Cromartie without taking a step back in life. However, assuming that RB Ryan Mathews can step in and carry the load as a feature back, the rest of this offense is downright frightening. QB Philip Rivers, TE Antonio Gates, and WR Vincent Jackson make up one of the most lethal passing games in the league. On defense, it was an off year for LB Shawne Merriman in 2009, and he might be back with vengeance this year, especially knowing that many are doubting the abilities of this defense. Finally, just like with Oakland, look at this schedule! Anything less than a 6-0 mark in division is going to be a brutal disappointment, and a 4-1 record in games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the NFC West is probable as well. Truth be told, anything less than a 13-3 record with this schedule should leave HC Norv Turner scratching his head. The Bolts aren't going to win the Super Bowl, but they are going to have one of the best records in the league when the regular season is finished.

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