New England Patriots
The Patriots are considered as underdogs throughout a number of sportsbooks after the Seahawks additionally punched their ticket to Tremendous Bowl LX.
For the primary time this postseason, the New England Patriots are going right into a playoff matchup as an underdog.
New England is about to battle the Seattle Seahawks in Tremendous Bowl LX, with the Patriots and Seahawks each punching their ticket to the large recreation on Sunday after beating the Broncos and Rams, respectively, within the AFC and NFC convention championship video games.
There’s nonetheless two weeks to go till Tremendous Bowl LX kicks off from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, however Seattle is opening as a slight favourite throughout a number of sportsbooks as of Sunday evening.
Right here’s a have a look at the present odds, as of early Monday morning:
This may stand because the second assembly between the Patriots and Seahawks within the Tremendous Bowl — as Tom Brady overcame Seattle’s “Legion of Growth” protection instantly basic in Super Bowl XLIX.
New England entered the postseason because the No. 2 seed within the AFC with a 14-3 report, however the Patriots haven’t at all times been a well-liked choose throughout sportsbooks this season — particularly towards different high groups groups throughout the NFL panorama.
A few of that could be a byproduct of New England’s weaker schedule within the common season, or the lackluster offensive manufacturing generated by Drake Maye and the Patriots offense within the playoffs (18.0 factors per recreation).
New England’s protection has additionally dominated, permitting simply 26 whole factors over these three video games.
However critics have additionally discredited the Patriots’ protection as being benefactors of a number of lucky bounces — be it CJ Stoud’s implosion (4 interceptions) within the AFC divisional spherical, or Denver rolling out backup QB Jarrett Stidham on Sunday within the AFC title recreation.
Nonetheless, New England’s protection has simply dealt with the competitors put in entrance of it for weeks now, whereas Maye and Co. have carried out sufficient to submit wins over three opponents within the Chargers, Texans, and Broncos who all ranked in the top-five in total defense this season.
The Patriots will doubtless embrace the function of underdog over the following few weeks as they brace for one more robust check on Feb. 8 towards the Seahawks.
“We’ve acquired loads of guys who’ve been counted out,” Milton Williams mentioned after Sunday’s win. “No one actually believed in us and what we might do. They’re most likely going to say it’s simply how they [Broncos] performed, we ain’t do nothing, it’s what they did. We’ve acquired yet one more recreation to go on the market and care for enterprise and see if we get some credit score then.”
What’s your message to the Pats forward of the Tremendous Bowl?
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