New York Jets vs. New England Patriots
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Sunday Football – Jets at Patriots Matchup
Venue: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Mass.
Money line –– Jets +350/ Patriots -450
Spread – Patriots -8.5
Over/under –– 44.5
Go Inside This Matchup With Our NFL ATS Stats —>
Click here to bet on the Jets vs. Pats at Sportsbook.com!
Jets vs. Patriots preview
The Patriots can’t possibly be as good as they showed last Dec. 6 when they zippered the Jets’ mouths shut by 42 points. Can they?
The Jets can’t possibly be as bad as they showed on that raucous night in Foxboro when their defense allowed 405 total yards and Mark Sanchez threw three interceptions? Can they?
Yes, no and maybe are the answers, though not necessarily in that order. The only thing certain is that all the baloney coming out of New York is not going to knock the Patriots off their game. BS is not on the menu, at least in Foxboro, where focus on the task at hand is everything. The Jets might win, but if they do it will be because they outplayed the Pats, not because New England was thinking about retribution.
The Patriots have gone two complete regular seasons without a loss at Gillette, and the only fly in that ointment is last season’s playoff defeat when the not-yet-defense was toasted by the Ravens. Since then the Pats have made great strides on the defensive side of the ball, which Sanchez was made fully aware off last month.
The Jets’ best shot is somehow dominating the line of scrimmage. No quarterback in the league is more difficult to blitz than Tom Brady, who has so many targets (Gronkowski, Welker, Branch, Hernandez, Woodhead –– the list never ends) and is so adept at finding them that a failed blitz can just about guarantee a 25-yard play.
On the other side of the ball, Sanchez has to figure out a way to stop spitting cotton in Foxboro. In two games there he has thrown 7 interceptions, which goes a long way toward explaining why in those two games the Jets have been outscored by New England, 76-17. The Patriots will almost certainly gear up to stop Shonne Green and LaDainian Tomlinson, and forced Sanchez to move the chains. He has yet to do so in 8 quarters in New England.
If New York can manage to take the game into the fourth period, special teams come into focus. Nick Folk won the game at Indy last week but is just 30 for 39 on the season. Shayne Garham, a midseason fill-in for injured Stephen Gostkowski, is perfect (12-12) for New England, but hasn’t kicked in Gillette under playoff pressure.
Betting Trends:
Over is 9-1 in NYJ last 10 road games.
Over is 7-2 in NYJ last 9 games in January.
Over is 12-4 in NYJ last 16 games overall.
Over is 15-3 in NE last 18 games overall.
Under is 11-3-1 in NE last 15 playoff home games.
Over is 18-7-1 in NE last 26 games on fieldturf.
NYJ are 5-11-1 ATS in their last 17 meetings.
BEST BET –– Shooting at shadows is never a good idea, and not even the most optimistic Patriots boosters are figuring on a 6-touchdown victory this time around. So much depends on Sanchez, and while he has played well on the road this season and owns a home victory over the Patriots, he has to step up in what is the most difficult game of his pro career. Here’s saying he can’t do it, and New England gets a comfy 2-TD victory.
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Lawrence Paul is a regular contributor to the Cappers Picks Blog, and is a free-lance gambling and travel writer from Massachusetts.
