Patriots Odds: Cam Newton Vs. Mac Jones Week 1 Prop Is Off The Board

Bets are no longer being taken on which quarterback will start the season for the New England Patriots.

Late Wednesday night, after a day full of reports on how tremendous rookie Mac Jones looked at joint practice with the New York Giants, DraftKings Sportsbook pulled the Patriots’ “Week 1 starter” betting prop off the board. I imagine Cam Newton’s absence and unavailability helped the case.

Newton on Wednesday morning was a massive -330 favorite ($330 to win $100) to take the season’s first snap for the Patriots. So you would’ve had to lay $330 to win $100 when the sun came up, yet now the market is no longer available. From a 76 percent chance of probability to no more bets.

Hmmm.

Usually when a sportsbook pulls a prop off the board, the fellas in the back are nervous about an impending avalanche on a bad number (i.e. Jones as a sizable +225 underdog at time of removal). Bookmakers follow beat writers and football analysts, too. They know what’s going on around town.

The more you hear from people in the know, the writing has been on the wall in New England.

Patriots Joint Practice Observations: Mac Jones Dazzles Vs. Giants

Aug 25, 2021

“I think everyone knows that Mac Jones should be the starter,” Westgate SuperBook vice president of risk management Ed Salmons said on NESN’s “Chicken Dinner” podcast. “I can’t imagine anyone that’s watched Cam Newton over the last two years sitting there and needing to see more Cam Newton.

“(Cam) is just so limited and defenses can scheme a game so much easier than if Mac Jones is in there,” Salmons added. “These quarterbacks that come out of college now are so different than they were 10, 15, 20 years ago. They’re throwing 40, 50, 60 passes a game and they’re just so much more NFL-ready than they’ve ever been.”

So now what?

As mentioned above, you can’t bet Jones to start Week 1 anymore, but there’s another alternative. The former Alabama conductor is still 10/1 to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year at multiple shops. Sure, there are road blocks like Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Zach Wilson in the way, but I would argue that Jones is in one of the best positions to succeed.

He’s armed with a revamped offensive line, solid running game, big targets like Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry and a coaching staff that will bring out his strengths and minimize his weaknesses. That’s a rare situation for a rookie and one that could turn out to be very profitable.

I’m taking a shot here and grabbing a really good number on Jones to make some noise if given the opportunity. And if Belichick names him the starter before Week 1, that 10-to-1 price will be gone in a heartbeat.

Mac Jones Offensive ROY +1000

RECORD: (46-44, -2.2)