New England Patriots 17-Point Favorites Over New York Giants, Weather Impacts Odds

The undefeated New England Patriots (5-0, 2-0 home) are again heavy favorites, this time playing in Foxboro against the injury plagued New York Giants (2-3, 1-1 away) on what s expected to be a windy and rainy night.

The consensus Las Vegas odds have the Patriots spotting the visitors 17 points. The over/under is at 42.5 points, down from as much as 47 points, based on iffy weather. Currently, the forecast for kickoff is 52 degrees Fahrenheit, with 15 mph winds and 50 percent chance of rain.

The moneyline is -1300 on the Pats, and +800 on the Giants. A winning $100 bet on those odds would respectively net a measly $7.69 for New England backers, and $800 for the Giants.

ESPN s Football Power Index, which projects results based on 10,000 computer simulations, gives New England a 92.9 percent chance of winning, the Giants 7.1 percent, and tie 0.1 percent.

On paper, it would seem the New England Patriots will roll to 6-0 for the fourth time in team history (2004, 2007, 2015).

The Giants longtime quarterback Eli Manning – whose two Super Bowl victories came against the Patriots – was benched following New York s 0-2 start. Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones will make his fourth straight start. But he ll attempt to beat New England without star running back Saquon Barkley and tight end and leading receiver Evan Engram, both out due to injuries.

Jones, who has begun his career 2-1, isn t afraid of the hostile environment in Foxboro, and competing against likely the best quarterback in NFL history.

We re confident in the guys we ve got, Jones said. I think when you look at how some of those guys have played and stepped up, I think we ve got guys who are ready to go and ready to make plays.

Pats safety Devin McCourty said the New England D will be ready for Jones and Manning. They probably have one of the best backups in the NFL, he said.

Despite the they ve afforded their first five opponents, the Pats have covered the spread in three.

The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only team in NFL history to go undefeated and win the Super Bowl. They finished 17-0.

However, the Patriots are the only team in the 16-game regular season to run the table, which they did in 2007. They finished 18-1, their lone loss coming in a 14-17 Super Bowl defeat at the hands of the Giants, specifically thanks to NY wide receiver David Tyree s Helmet Catch on the final drive.

This year s Patriots seem perhaps better positioned than ever to go not only 16-0, but a perfect 19-0.

The SuperBook took a $5,000 bet on 8/1 odds of New England going 16-0 that would net $40,000. It also accepted a $24,000 wager on 1/12 that they won t that would net $2,000.

As for the Super Bowl, New England is the frontrunner at 2/1. They re followed by the Kansas City Chiefs (5/1), New Orleans Saints (8/1), and Green Bay Packers (14/1).