Week 16 NFL Betting Lines: New York At New England

Posted by Henry Watkins on Wednesday,December 21, 2016 9:36, EDT in

NFL News, Betting Tips, Picks & Previews

This is the stage of the NFL season when things start to get interesting for those teams that have already clinched a playoff spot. Do you take the opportunity to rest some guys, or do you go all out to get a better seeding in the conference? The New England Patriots are at 12-2, have clinched their division, and are likely just a single win away from nabbing home field advantage throughout the playoffs. This coming Saturday they will face the New York Jets at home, and while a game against a struggling opponent might seem like a good time to give some starters a break, it’s worth remembering that the Jets always seem to find a way to play the Patriots tough. The last 5 meetings between these two teams have been decided by 7 points or less, so you can perhaps expect this one to be tight. The bookies don’t necessarily see it that way, though, as they have the Patriots favored by 16.5 points for this one.

A Closer Look At The Week 16 NFL Betting Lines: Jets At Patriots

When: Saturday, December 24 at 1 PM EST
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro
TV: CBS
Radio: WEPN and WBZ
Live Stream: CBS Sports Network
NFL Odds: TBA

Why bet on the New York Jets

The Jets don’t seem to stack up well against anyone these days, but the Patriots might just be the exception. Even this season, with these two teams very far apart in terms of talent, the previous meeting saw the Patriots forced to grind out a 22-17 win over the Jets on the road. A lot has happened since that game, though, and New York are a battered and bruised bunch that don’t appear to have a legitimate QB to call upon. They have been throwing rookie QB Bryce Petty to the wolves, and the results have been as expected. The best that the New York Jets can hope for in this one is that they somehow once again find a way to keep it close versus the Pats.

Why bet on the New England Patriots

I don’t believe that there is any scenario that would see the Patriots rest guys to start this game. The Oakland Raiders could still conceivable steal the #1 spot in the AFC, and you can bet that Brady and company are not about to let that happen. While the 16.5-point spread may seem a bit high, it’s worth noting that the Patriots have done a spectacular job of covering so far this year, going 11-3 ATS so far. They have also gone 2-0 ATS when installed as a double-digit favorite this season, so it’s not too much of a stretch to see them being able to cover here. It may all depend on how soon they start to pull starters in the second half if things do get out of control.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

I’m not a huge fan of these larger spreads, and I usually avoid them, but this looks like a perfect storm. The Jets O-line is beaten up, which will leave their young QB horribly exposed. This could be a long day for the boys in green and white.