Sep 8th 2008 3:26PM by Tom Mantzouranis (author feed)
Filed under: Jets, Patriots, AFC East, NFL Gambling
Vegas lines are not set based on which team is better, but really based on a public perception of which team is better. In this case, the public’s penchant towards reactionism and hyperbole is on full display.
The moneyless guessing lines are out for this Sunday’s games, and the Jets are favored to beat the Patriots, giving a line of 2.5 to 3, depending on what moneyless guessing service you use. This is obviously due to Tom Brady’s probably season-ending knee injury, and I can’t help but to think that with Brady in the lineup the Patriots, even on the road, would be favored by around a touchdown. So it makes me wonder: does everyone think Tom Brady is the only reason the Patriots have been so good?
First off, the historical significance portion of the program: this is the first time the Patriots have been regular season underdogs since 2006, and I’m not sure, but that was probably a game against the Colts. I don’t even dare fathom the last time the Patriots were underdogs against the Jets.
As far as this game’s concerned, I’m sure that line is going to inspire a lot of action on both sides, as it’s designed to. But I’m not going to dismiss the Pats yet; though they’ve never faced a test like this, they’ve faced a lot of tests and have emerged mostly triumphant, and I’m going to need to see the Jets do it first before you’re getting me to wage my money on them.
