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The New England Patriots may still be a long way from their dynasty glory days, but they took a great leap forward last season. New England finished 10-7 and got back to the playoffs, getting stampeded by the Buffalo Bills in the wild card round. But the big story has to be Mac Jones turning in a solid effort in his debut season. He had lots of help from a powerful running game and a stifling defense, but it’s clear the arrow’s pointing up for the Patriots as they head into the 2022 season.
We’ll take a look at the latest DraftKings Sportsbook lines and predict if the Falcons can beat their 2022 win total. The odds below are as of March 28, 2022.
AFC East win totals
Buffalo Bills: 11.5 (Over -135, Under +115)
Miami Dolphins: 9 (Over -110, Under -110)
New England Patriots: 8.5 (Over -125, Under +105)
New York Jets: 5.5 (Over -115, Under -105)
Notable offseason moves so far
New England made moves to shore up its defense. They traded for linebacker Mack Wilson to bolster what might have been their weakest position group on that side of the ball. They signed Malcolm Butler and Terrance Mitchell at cornerback, which will partly help offset the loss of JC Jackson.
Patriots prediction: Under 9 wins
It’s probably not good to bet against the Patriots surprising us all again, but there are still just too many holes on the roster, for now, to see them winning more than nine games in 2022.
What moves might change our prediction?
They need to add a wide receiver. Not a depth guy, but a sure-handed No. 1 for Jones to build a real passing game around this year. More heft on the defensive line would help too, even for a unit that regularly punches above its weight class.
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