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Patriots Are Home Underdogs Four Times In 2021 Season

BOSTON (CBS) -- The odds are out for every game of the 2021 NFL season. And the oddsmakers still have some doubts about the Patriots.

As they come off a 7-9 campaign, the Patriots figure to be a better team in 2021, after investing heavily in free agents and addressing some critical areas on the roster. Yet with Cam Newton still in as the starting QB ahead of first-round draft pick Mac Jones, it seems as though the gambling world is not quite convinced that the Patriots will be the most trustworthy team in 2021.

Westgate Las Vegas released odds for every single game in the 2021 NFL season. These will surely change significantly before the games are actually played, but they nevertheless paint an interesting picture of what expectations are for the Patriots in 2021.

For starters, they're currently underdogs at home four times: Week 3 vs. New Orleans (+1), Week 4 vs. Tampa Bay (+3.5), Week 10 vs. Cleveland (+2.5), and Week 16 vs. Buffalo (+3.5).

The four home games where the Patriots are favored come against the Dolphins (-2.5), Cowboys (-1), Jets (-6) and Titans (-1).

The Patriots are also underdogs in four road games: at Atlanta (+1.5), at Buffalo (+7), at Indianapolis (+5.5), and at Miami (+2.5).

On the flip side, New England is a road favorite for the visit to Los Angeles to play the Chargers (-2.5), whom they beat 45-0 last year in that same building. The Patriots are also road favorites against the Jets (-3) and Texans (-6), with Newton's return to Carolina in Week 9 being a pick 'em.

In the eight games where the Patriots are favored, the opponents went a combined 41-71 last year. In the eight games where the Patriots are underdogs, the opponents went a combined 72-40 last year. The pick 'em game comes against the Panthers, who went 5-11 last year.

The home underdog aspect is surely the most interesting. It's something they got somewhat used to last year, when the Bills (-7), Cardinals (-1) and Ravens (-7) were all favorites in Foxboro. The Patriots did win two of those games, though.

Patriots' Lines For 2021 Season (From Westgate Las Vegas)
Week 1: vs. Miami Dolphins, -2.5
Week 2: @ New York Jets, -3
Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints, +1
Week 4. vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, +3.5
Week 5: @ Houston Texans, -6
Week 6: vs. Dallas Cowboys, -1
Week 7: vs. New York Jets, -6
Week 8: @ Los Angeles Chargers, -2.5
Week 9: @ Carolina Panthers, PK
Week 10: vs. Cleveland Browns, +2
Week 11: @ Atlanta Falcons, +1.5
Week 12: vs. Tennessee Titans, -1
Week 13: @ Buffalo Bills, -7
Week 14: BYE
Week 15: @ Indianapolis Colts, +5.5
Week 16: vs. Buffalo Bills, +3.5
Week 17: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, -5.5
Week 18: @ Miami Dolphins, +2.5

Obviously, the mid-May odds don't necessarily mean anything in terms of the Patriots' final record in 2021. But they do seem to show that the Patriots' climb back to real contention is expected by many to take at least another year.

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