How Patriots Betting Odds Look After 2023 NFL Draft
New England remains a long shot to make noise this season
The completion of the 2023 NFL Draft represents another checkpoint in the offseason.
Sure, it could be a year (or two, or three) before certain draft picks pan out. Not every blue-chip prospect makes an immediate impact. But the annual event nevertheless offers an opportunity for teams across the league to infuse more talent into their pipeline. And the New England Patriots had several areas -- on both sides of the ball -- they needed to address while trying to keep pace in the stacked AFC East.
The Patriots moved around the board, as they typically do, but ultimately ended up making 12 selections, highlighted, of course, by drafting Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the No. 17 overall pick in Round 1. Many experts viewed Gonzalez as a potential top-`10 pick, so his addition could be a game-changer for New England's secondary.
The Patriots also added Georgia Tech edge rusher Keion White in Round 2 (No. 46) and Sacramento State linebacker Marte Mapu in Round 3 (No. 76) before shifting focus to the offense and special teams. All told, the draft class drew mostly positive reviews, with ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. giving New England a "B+" for its overall haul.
Since it's difficult to project how most rookies will fare in Year 1, the NFL draft typically doesn't result in a ton of line movement on the futures betting market. That said, because we're talking about a tentpole event, it's still worth diving into where the Patriots stand roughly four months before the 2023 NFL season.
Here's a snapshot of New England's futures odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as of Monday evening.
To win Super Bowl LVIII: +5500
To win AFC: +3000
To win AFC East: +750
To make playoffs: Yes (+235), No (-300)
Regular-season wins: Over 7.5 (-122), Under 7.5 (+100)
For context, the Patriots have the same Super Bowl odds (+5500) as the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders, just behind the Seattle Seahawks (+4500) and just ahead of a +6000 group that includes the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders.
New England has the same conference championship odds (+3000) as Las Vegas, sandwiched between the Denver Broncos (+2500) and Pittsburgh (+4300).
The divisional odds are the most jarring, though, as they truly reflect how far the mighty have fallen. The Patriots, who for nearly two decades dominated the AFC East, now have by far the worst odds (+750) in the division, trailing the Buffalo Bills (+130), New York Jets (+250) and Miami Dolphins (+290).
It's no wonder then that oddsmakers have set New England's win total at 7.5. The Patriots have six matchups (two each) with the Bills, Jets and Dolphins, plus looming showdowns with the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, among others.
The Patriots are coming off a 2022 season in which they posted an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs.
