New England Patriots Enter Sunday As Favorites Over Minnesota Vikings
The New England Patriots travel to face the Minnesota Vikings early on Sunday and will enter the weekend as 3-point favorites.
The Patriots’ line opened at 4.5, but the second-half collapse in Miami was enough to bring it down. Saner heads have prevailed since then, as the line has remained steady at New England -3, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The Patriots’ injury report remains fairly light, which is a surprise given Bill Belichick?s history of including half the team. Tom Brady was listed as questionable in Week 1 after being limited in practice, but he is not listed this week. He would play either way, but it is still an interesting note.
The OddsShark computer predicts New England will defeat Minnesota 30-19, and it is confident enough in that to include the game among its five Week 2 SuperContest picks.
According to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com, the biggest line swings in the early games belong to Arizona Cardinals-New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars-Washington Redskins. The Cardinals opened as 1.5-point underdogs, but the line has swung to Arizona as 2.5-point favorites. People likely realized just how bad the Giants are, causing a sizable swing. Meanwhile, Washington opened as a 4.5-point favorite and is now a 7-point favorite. Cecil Shorts was downgraded from limited to DNP on Thursday, so his status is in doubt for Sunday.
The most intriguing early game might be Atlanta Falcons-Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals have stuck as 5-point favorites, and the OddsShark computer likes the Bengals in this one. However, if Week 1?s underdog run carries over to Week 2 (underdogs were 11-5), this could be one such upset.
The late game schedule features the biggest spread of Week 2 — the Broncos are a 13-point favorite against the Chiefs. The Broncos lost their Week 1 cover late against the Colts, and now they face a Chiefs squad with numerous injury problems. The Broncos are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games at home. The OddsShark computer has the Broncos winning but not covering, with a final score of 34.3-31.8.
“Sunday Night Football” features the San Francisco 49ers as 7-point favorites at home against the Chicago Bears. The line could increase if Bears wide receivers Brandon Marshall and/or Alshon Jeffery are unable to go on Sunday. Jeffery is the bigger question mark after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 1.
