PATS AND DOGS
The lines on New England and Miami exploding in opposite directions
LAS VEGAS — While veteran quarterbacks are dropping like flies around the NFL, Tom Brady is still going strong at 42. The Patriots are showing no signs of weakness and might be chasing perfection.
Just as elite teams present challenges to oddsmakers, so do terrible teams. How low can the Dolphins go and how high can point spreads get on the worst team in the league?
Brady passed for two touchdowns and New England’s defense returned two interceptions for touchdowns Sunday in a 43-0 win in Miami, where the Dolphins opened the season with two home games and were outscored 102-10.
“Those are two of the worst games you’ll ever see an NFL team play,” William Hill sportsbook director Nick Bogdanovich said.
The Patriots, who are 3/1 Super Bowl favorites, were laying 18 points on the road, but the betting public showed no interest in the underdog.
“The ticket count was insane on the Patriots,” Bogdanovich said. “Every single parlay and every single teaser was on the Patriots.”
New England opened as a 17½-point home favorite over the Jets in Week 3. Meanwhile, it’s more of the same for the Dolphins, who are 21-point underdogs at Dallas.
“How’s that for parity? I guess we’re in uncharted waters,” Bogdanovich said.
The props were opened last week and adjusted Sunday night. Will the Patriots go 16-0 in the regular season? The Westgate SuperBook posted a “No” price of -2,000 (bet $2,000 to win $100), with “Yes” paying 10/1 odds. Will the Dolphins go 0-16? The “No” price is -450.
“I think the Dolphins will win a game or two at some point,” SuperBook director John Murray said. “But they don’t really want to win, so you have to consider that, too.
“There’s a pretty clear top two in the NFL right now. New England and Kansas City are definitely one-two, but I don’t know in which order you want to rank those two.”
The Patriots, who won their first two games by a combined score of 76-3, could get tested at Buffalo in Week 4 but otherwise figure to face little resistance until November.
The Dolphins are stuck in a hopeless situation against the Cowboys, who are making a case to surpass the Rams as the top power-rated team in the NFC. Despite a drama-riddled preseason, Dallas abused the Giants and Redskins in double-digit victories over NFC East rivals headed in a downward spiral.
Dak Prescott has completed 82.3 percent of his passes for 674 yards and seven touchdowns. Prescott has the league’s second-highest passer rating, and Ezekiel Elliott is back in rhythm after rushing 23 times for 111 yards against the Redskins.
Aside from one six-figure wager on Washington, Bogdanovich said betting action was lopsided in favor of Dallas and the game was a loser for William Hill. “It was all Cowboys, except for one guy,” he said. “The Cowboys are very good. Dak has got all sorts of weapons.”
New Orleans is sliding down the NFC ladder. The Saints fell to the Rams, 27-9, and lost quarterback Drew Brees for six to eight weeks. Brees needs surgery on a torn ligament in his right thumb and will be replaced by Teddy Bridgewater.
The drop-off from Brees to Bridgewater is about four points. William Hill opened the Saints as 4½-point underdogs at Seattle this week.
The SuperBook lowered Super Bowl odds on New Orleans (20/1) and Pittsburgh (200/1) after Monday’s breaking news on two quarterbacks.
Kenny White, a Las Vegas oddsmaker and VSiN analyst, said the Steelers’ rating drops 6½ points with Mason Rudolph replacing Ben Roethlisberger, who needsds seasonseasonending elbow surgery. Pittsburgh, 0-2 after losses to New England and Seattle, is a 6½-point underdog at San Francisco.
The Brees and Roethlisberger injuries continue what has been a cruel month for veteran quarterbacks as Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck retired in the preseason and Jacksonville’s Nick Foles was knocked out with a broken collarbone in Week 1.
Sam Darnold is not quite a veteran, but the Jets’ franchise QB is sidelined by mono. As for the Giants, Eli Manning is getting closer to being sidelined by poor play.
Brady is busy turning back the clock to 2007, when the Patriots did go 16-0. But if they reach the Super Bowl, Manning and the Giants will not be there to crash the party this time.