ESPN sees one Patriots newcomer making a big impact in his New England debut Sunday afternoon.
The Patriots will kick off their 2022 season with a road tilt against the Dolphins, who are riding a three-game head-to-head win streak against their division rival. The Week 1 matchup at Hard Rock Stadium will be a homecoming of sorts for DeVante Parker, who was a first-round pick by Miami in 2015 and played the first seven seasons of his NFL career in South Beach.
The veteran wide receiver was the focus of ESPN's bold prediction for the Pats-Fins showdown.
"Former Dolphins wideout DeVante Parker will score a touchdown in his Patriots debut," Mike Reiss wrote in a column published Sunday. "The Dolphins' No. 2 cornerback spot opposite Xavien Howard is a question mark with Byron Jones on the reserve/PUP list, and Parker has led the NFL in tight-window catches over the past five seasons (less than 1 yard of separation), according to NFL Next Gen Stats."
If any NFL bettors are very keen on ESPN's prediction coming to fruition, they probably should take to the sportsbook. Parker is a +245 bet at DraftKings Sportsbook to score a touchdown at any point during the New England-Miami collision.
Parker and the Patriots will kick off against the Dolphins at 1 p.m. ET.
