New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
Monday, 9/12/11, 7:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: New England -4
Current Betting Line: New England -7
Opening Total: 46
Current Total: 46
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
New England is the early Super Bowl favorite and will be opening a season against the Miami Dolphins for the seventh time. Both teams have walked away with three wins in those previous meetings. It was a disappointing end for last year’s AFC East division champion, as the Patriots were bounced from the playoffs by the New York Jets, which was a shocking result due to the team’s 14-2 regular season record. Quarterback Tom Brady saw the squad drop a 28-21 contest to a team it had previously beaten 45-3 just six weeks prior. “You realize how touch it its to win games over the years,” Brady commented. New England is 18-14 ATS the past two seasons.
The Patriots have enjoyed tremendous success since the 2001 season against AFC East rivals, posting a 48-14 record, which is the best intra-division record of any team over that span. Brady has tallied a 12-6 mark when facing the Dolphins in his career, including wins in both meetings last year. New England captured a resounding 41-14 road win on Monday Night Football in South Beach despite being out-gained by 135 yards. Head coach Bill Belichick has tallied a 13-9 straight-up record in this series.
Miami definitely has a new look this season after finishing the 2010 season with a 7-9 record. The Dolphins are entirely different in the backfield, with the departures of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams being replaced by free agent Reggie Busch and second-round draft pick Daniel Thomas. Quarterback Chad Henne still has quality wideouts in Davone Bess and Brandon Marshall, as the team will be looking to snap a string of five consecutive losses in home openers. Miami is 12-8 ATS as an underdog.
The Dolphins defense definitely has some play makers that will give Brady a test in this contest, as cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith feel they are the best duo in the National Football League. “It’s a dangerous group,” Brady stated leading up to Monday. “They’re experienced in the secondary.” It’s still important to point out that the squad caused just 19 turnovers in 2010, which is a huge disparity when being compared to the 38 miscues the Patriots’ defense created. Offensively, the team is going to have to score points, which was hard to come by last year in finishing 30th in the league by scoring just 17.1 points a contest.
Bettors will likely back the Dolphins due to their 11-3 ATS mark as an underdog, while the Patriots are 2-5 ATS in September.
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