The New England Patriots have been one of the surest bets in the NFL over the last two decades. Their success has been unrivaled since Bill Belichick and Tom Brady arrived at the club, winning five Super Bowls.
The AFC Conference has been dominated by New England over the past seven years. Belichick’s men have reached the Championship Game for the last seven seasons in a row. The Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens are the only other teams to emerge from the Conference in that timespan and win the Super Bowl.
A new challenge has emerged in the form of the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes and company have proven their quality, but whether it will be enough to knock off New England in January is another matter.
Patriots Continued Betting Favorites
The Patriots’ dominance has seen them favored in almost every contest they’ve played since 2010. Their record over the eight-year period is an incredible 102-26 in the regular season, discounting games from the 2018 campaign. Therefore, backing them on the money line is not a fruitful endeavor unless you’re willing to accept small gains. The more profitable action is on the spread where points come into the equation.
Given New England’s ability on offense with Brady at the controls and Rob Gronkowski at tight end, the Patriots are usually favored by a touchdown. Over the last eight years, their record against the spread is an incredible 90-60-4, including last season’s 11-5 ATS display. As a result, betting tips don’t come with more of a credible claim than with the Patriots, who are the closest thing to guaranteed success you will have backing on the spread continuing into the 2018 season.
Early Differences Between Patriots and Chiefs
The Chiefs hit the ground running to start the campaign for the second year in a row. Kansas City eased their way past the Los Angeles Chargers before outdueling the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers, with the victory over the Steelers amending from past wrongs against Mike Tomlin’s team.
Andy Reid’s men then successfully tested their mettle with two impressive wins over the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars, starting the season with a 5-0 record. New England, on the other hand, fell to 1-2 for the first time since the 2012 campaign after losing back-to-back games against the Jaguars and the Detroit Lions.
They righted the ship before a showdown with the Chiefs by powering past the Miami Dolphins and the Indianapolis Colts, flexing their might on offense. The results sent both teams into their showdown at Foxborough with momentum.
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Will The Chiefs Learn From Their Defeat?
The contest between the two sides proved to be a thriller. Mahomes lit up the NFL with his ability to throw touchdowns in the opening weeks of the campaign. However, he committed two interceptions that allowed Brady and company to storm to a 24-9 lead at the break. The response from Mahomes and his teammates were emphatic as Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill found the end zone. Kansas City’s power on offense sparked the team into the lead in the fourth quarter.
Brady and the Patriots found a way to squeeze out a win even after a 75-yard touchdown from Hill. Although the Patriots secured the victory, the Chiefs left the game with plenty of confidence. They still have a game advantage over Belichick’s men at the half-way stage of the season. If a playoff game between the sides is played at Arrowhead Stadium rather than Foxborough, then the Chiefs will more than fancy their chances to down the dynasty and perhaps advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1969.