New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns
Sunday, 11/7/2010, 1:00 PM EST, TV: CBS
Opening Point Spread: New England -4
Current Betting Line: New England -4
Opening Total: 45
Current Total: 43.5
Current Moneyline: New England -210 / Cleveland +180
New England has won its last five games to push its overall record to 6-1 on the season and it also marks their longest winning streak since its then-NFL record 21-game regular-season run from 2006-08. The Patriots come into this contest as the only NFL team with fewer than two losses. “We’ve got a lot of young players, but I don’t really care about all that,” head coach Bill Belichick stated. “What I care about is how the team functions as a unit.” His team has won the last four meetings dating back to 2001, but the Browns hold a 12-9 overall mark in the series. New England is 4-7 overall in games played in Cleveland, including a 2-1 record at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Patriots have allowed the Browns to score fewer than 20 points in each of the ten regular season meetings between the teams since 1992. The team is 2-0 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points this season and the NFL lines page has them currently listed in that range.
The Patriots have started the season with at least six wins in their first seven games for the sixth time in team history and fourth time under Belichick. New England’s 28-18 victory over Minnesota was its 16th-straight win at Gillette Stadium over NFC opponents. Since 2001, New England has done a remarkable job in finishing the season strong, compiling a 75-22 record after November 1, a mark that includes playoff games. Another important factor is to note the squad has the third-best road record at 53-30 since 2000, with only Indianapolis and Philadelphia holding a better mark.
Cleveland returns home on Sunday afternoon for the first time in nearly a month and get the pleasure of facing the AFC East leaders. This matchup will certainly stir up the bitterness between Browns head coach Eric Mangini and Belichick, but the team is focused on pulling off an upset. “I think everything takes care of itself over time,” said Mangini. “He’s had a lot to focus on, I’ve had a lot to focus on so it’s just one of those things right now.” The last time the team beat the Patriots was November 12, 2000 by a 19-11 count. Ironically enough, it happened to be Belichick’s first-year in New England. Cleveland is 8-3 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points.
The Browns are 2-5 heading into their first game after the bye week and was last seen pulling off a 30-17 upset win in New Orleans. Cleveland will have to find a way to stop another top-flight quarterback in today’s contest after containing Drew Brees. “Offensively, they’ve got Tom Brady, that’s the starting point and he’s just so good at identifying what the defense is,” said Mangini. “He’s a complete, equal-opportunity quarterback.”
Bettors may be interested in knowing that the Patriots are just 36-36 ATS in November, while the Browns are 2-0 ATS versus AFC East opponents the last three years.
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