High expectations have become commonplace for the New England Patriots, and despite some apparent offseason turmoil, don’t expect that to change in 2018.
In fact, the Pats are pegged as Super Bowl favorites in ESPN’s “Football Power Index,” a predictive tool that measures a team’s strength.
The FPI has the Patriots with an 18-percent chance of claiming Super Bowl LIII, trailed by the Pittsburgh Steelers at 14-percent and the Eagles at 11-percent.
So how does ESPN put together the formula that views the Pats so favorably?
“The model considers each team’s win total at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, how that team performed on offense, defense and special teams last season, how many starters are returning, and who the starting and backup quarterbacks are.”
In addition, the formula resulted in the most likely Super Bowl matchup being a rematch of the most recent title game, with New England taking on the Philadelphia Eagles at a six-percent likelihood.
The Patriots also have a four-percent chance of playing either the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers or New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl.
