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The Week 3 matchup between New England and the Las Vegas Raiders is deemed a crucial game for Patriots fans. With their beloved team aiming to stay competitive with the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East standings, it is a “must-win” situation.
They can consider themselves fortunate as the current betting odds for the Patriots are in their favor.
On Sunday, DraftKings and other sportsbooks favor New England as the clear home team. Additionally, the overall market indicates that it will be a low-scoring game.
The latest Patriots betting odds for Week 3
Although sports betting is still prohibited in Massachusetts, individuals have the option to travel across the New Hampshire border and legally place bets either online or in retail establishments there.
In the Granite State, DraftKings manages the sports betting operations on behalf of the New Hampshire Lottery.
For Sunday’s noon ET game against Las Vegas on CBS, the Patriots are favored with -275 odds at that sportsbook. The current spread on the Patriots is -5.5 (-118). The total score is set at 48, with -110 odds available on both sides.
Heading into Sunday’s game, New England is currently tied with seven touchdowns, placing them in a shared third position in the league. On the other hand, the Raiders have scored eight touchdowns, leaving them tied for the second-highest number of touchdowns.
Is the low total justified? The Patriots have been leading the league in interceptions, with an average of two per game. However, their opponents have been completing almost 71% of passes, averaging nearly nine yards per attempt.
So far this season, Las Vegas’ defense has not been particularly impressive. The Raiders have only managed to force one turnover and record one sack. Although their red-zone pass defense has been better than that of the Patriots, they have faced difficulties in defending against the run in the same zone.
On Sunday, DraftKings customers can take advantage of the opportunity presented by the low total score, which appears to be a result of the teams’ weak offensive performance rather than exceptional defensive play.
Why this Sunday could look more like Week 1 than Week 2
During the New England Patriots’ first game against the Miami Dolphins, they managed to accumulate 217 rushing yards and scored only one touchdown. Now, as they return to the same field, they will be up against the Raiders defense, which could potentially allow them to achieve a similar rushing success. However, this time the Patriots might have a better chance of reaching the end zone more frequently.
The Patriots’ ground threats could potentially exploit the Las Vegas defense, as they are surrendering an average of almost five yards per carry and have allowed a higher percentage of first downs against the run compared to all but three other NFL teams.
Cam Newton, the quarterback for New England, currently tops all three significant rushing stat categories for the team: attempts, touchdowns, and yards. Additionally, his average of 4.7 yards per attempt closely matches the average yards allowed by the Raiders per attempt.
If New England manages to generate a few more interceptions and take advantage of Las Vegas’ vulnerable ground defense, betting on the Pats’ spread and the over on the total seems like a reliable choice.
Based on these numbers, Newton’s yardage production and scoring also appear to be solid investments in terms of props on his performance in the game.
DraftKings believes that although the Patriots may control the ball and stay ahead in this game, it is unlikely to result in numerous touchdowns.
Newton’s third week in this new offense has the potential to exceed expectations and bring victories for Massachusetts bettors who ventured into New Hampshire.
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