Caesars Sets Patriots' 2020 Win Total at Lowest Since 2003, Buccaneers Favored to Make Postseason

Caesars Sportsbook released its NFL win totals and playoffs odds on Thursday.

Caesars Sportsbook released its NFL win totals and playoffs odds on Thursday and set New England's line at 8.5 wins, the franchise's lowest mark from Caesars since 2003. 

"My raw number on the Patriots is less than eight [wins]," Jeff Davis, head oddsmaker at Caesars, told ESPN's Ben Fawkes. "Outside of the secondary, which is one of the best in the league, the rest of their roster I think is one of the worst in the NFL."

Caesars' opening win total for the Patriots is among the lowest of any sportsbook, as William Hill pegs New England at nine wins while DraftKings Sportsbook put the Patriots' opening total at 9.5 wins. 

Meanwhile, the Patriots are favorited in half of their 2020 games, according to BetOnline. 

The Patriots won 12 games in 2019 and have not won fewer than 10 games since 2002, when the team went 9-7.

Six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, opened with a win total of nine and are favored to make the postseason. Tampa Bay hasn't made the playoffs since 2007 and was one of just two NFL teams not to appear in the postseason in the last decade. 

There are a number of other Brady-related bets already on the board, including a prop bet for how many interceptions the new Buccaneers QB will throw. That number is set at 10.5 

While Brady's MVP odds for the 2020 season opened at 30/1 (Westgate SuperBook) right after Super Bowl LIV, those odds jumped by early April to 16/1 (William Hill), the fourth-favorite, after signing with Tampa Bay. 

All those lines might need a major overhaul, however, as the NFL is reportedly planning for contingencies for the 2020 season, including potentially shortening its schedule. 

Analysis from Devon Clements of PatriotMaven: The over/under of 8.5 is a little low for me. Based on Bill Belichick's ability to game plan better than most coaches in the league and adjust on the fly, the Patriots being at 9.5 would seem like a more fair benchmark.

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