The New England Patriots and New York Jets will both be looking for the first win of the season when they take the field at MetLife Stadium on Sunday for their Week 2 head-to-head. While both AFC East clubs were on the losing end of their openers, each of their rookie quarterbacks, Mac Jones and Zach Wilson, showed promise in their NFL debuts.
As those signal-callers look to get into the win column for the first time in their careers, we’ll look to ride one of these teams to make us some money. Below, you’ll find a betting preview of this divisional matchup that includes a breakdown of the lofty line movements leading into this contest, along with our game predictions and a handful of player props that have caught our attention.
All NFL odds via Caesars Sportsbook.
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How to watch
Date: Sunday, Sept. 19 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)
TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+ (click here)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Patriots -6, O/U 43
Line movement
Latest Odds: New York Jets +6
The Patriots have grown to be a heavy road favorite over New York. This number opened at Patriots -4 and jumped up two full points by Thursday. Some possible reasons folks are betting so heavily on New England could be Jones’ promising NFL debut in Week 1 along with Bill Belichick’s strong record against rookie quarterbacks. Another could be New York losing left tackle Mekhi Becton to a knee injury.
The pick: Patriots -6. A lofty number to lay, but this feels like a bounce-back game for the Patriots. New England led Miami in every major statistical category, but turnovers and poor red zone execution proved to be its downfall. Those are things Belichick should be able to coach out of his club entering this AFC East matchup. Meanwhile, Wilson’s debut was a bit of a mixed bag. After struggling in the first half, he did come around in the final two quarters, but he’ll have a much harder time with the Patriots defense than he did with Carolina’s.
Key trend: Patriots are 5-2 ATS in their last seven meetings
Over/Under total
Unlike the spread, the total has largely stood firm. After opening at 43, it dipped to 42.5 on Wednesday but has since returned to its original number.
The pick: Under 43. Both of these teams failed to get over the 20-point threshold in Week 1. While I expect that to change a bit in this matchup, it won’t be by much. As we noted above, Belichick has a strong history of shutting down rookie quarterbacks, and this Patriots defense is primed for a bounce-back performance after a spotty showing in the opener. Meanwhile, Jones should keep New England ahead, but I’m not anticipating the youngster to light up the box score just yet.
Key trend: The Under is 7-3 in their last 10 meetings
Player props to consider
James White receiving yards: Over 27.5 (-115). Jones didn’t force much down the field in his debut and made smart check-down plays when they were there. I expect more of the same in Week 2, which means White should see plenty of action. In the opener, he was tied for second on the team with seven targets.
Zach Wilson interceptions: Over 0.5 (-170). Belichick-led defenses are averaging over an interception per game against rookie quarterbacks during his Patriots tenure.
Mac Jones passing touchdowns: Over 1.5 (-110). New England reached the Miami 25-yard line five times and only came away with one touchdown last week. They should once again be able to put themselves within spitting distance of the end zone, and this time, Jones should be able to cash in on his opportunities.
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