The Patriots (6-0) came close to losing only once this season, and it was in a division road game against the Bills. When they travel to face the Jets (1-4) on "Monday Night Football" (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN), it will already complete the away portion of their AFC East schedule for 2019.
The Jets were a much different team with Sam Darnold back healthy at quarterback in Week 6, upsetting the Cowboys at home. This week, they get inside linebacker C.J. Mosley, the leader and linchpin of their defense, back for the first time since Week 1. New England' s defense has been dominant early, but it hasn't faced a well-rounded offense yet, including a Darnold-less New York team in the first meeting.
Will Darnold, Le'Veon Bell, Robby Anderson, Jamison Crowder and angry former Patriot Demaryius Thomas combine to play well to deliver another shocker?
Here's everything to know about betting on Patriots vs. Jets in Week 7, including updated odds, trends and our prediction.
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Patriots vs. Jets odds for 'Monday Night Football'
- Spread: Patriots by 9.5
- Point total: 43.5
- Moneyline: Patriots -105, Jets -105
The Patriots were favorites by 20.5 points in their Week 3 home win against the Jets in which they failed to cover, 30-14. The return of Darnold combined with the Jets' big first upset win with Adam Gase has brought the rematch a little under double digits.
Patriots vs. Jets all-time series
The Patriots lead the rivalry 66-54-1. They have won seven straight games in the series and 10 of the past 11. New England's last loss at New York came in December 2015 in overtime. The Patriots have beaten the Jets on the road by margins of 14, 7 and 5 points in the past three meetings.
Three trends to know
— 55 percent of bettors like the Patriots handle the relatively small number in their favor, given how they've played this season.
— Another 52 percent of bettors are leaning toward the Jets on the moneyline as the classic home underdog at night.
— The only games in which the Patriots won and failed to cover this season were against the Jets the first time and the Bills on the road.
Three things to watch
Gregg Williams vs. Tom Brady
Williams, the Jets' defensive coordinator, will be trying to put the heat on Brady with exotic blitzes. The Patriots' quarterback will work to counter by spreading the ball around in the team's three wide-receiver sets to Julian Edelman, Phillip Dorsett and Jakobi Meyers. The key for Williams is his team stopping the run better with Mosley back to get New England in more uncomfortable third-down situations.
Bill Belichick vs. Le'Veon Bell
The Patriots' defense is known for taking away one thing from the opponent offensively. Look for the focus to be on stopping Bell as both a runner and receiver and force Darnold to hang in their against their pass rush and making tough throws downfield into tight coverage, especially with cornerback Stephon Gilmore locking on Anderson downfield.
Slot vs. slot
Edelman tends to destroy the Jets. In the first meeting, he caught 7 of 10 targets for 62 yards and a touchdown. He should be very busy working the middle of the field between Dorsett and Meyers. Meanwhile, with Anderson covered, Darnold should have full trust to work the slot with Crowder, after Daniel Jones had good success with Golden Tate in the prevoius game against the Patriots.
Stat that matters
In his 7 career games against the Patriots, Anderson has caught a combined 15 passes on 38 targets for only 169 yards and zero touchdowns. Those were all losses. Then consider he had 5 catches for 125 yards and a TD just last week against the Cowboys. He will cool off, hurting Darnold.
Patriots vs. Jets prediction
The Jets' offense is improved with Darnold, and the defense can cause some problems with Mosley. But look for a classic game in which the Patriots abandon the run and have Brady get rid of the ball quickly to methodically move the ball down the field with a ton of short-to-intermediate passing. The Patriots will render Bell a non-factor and get in Darnold's face when they play with a sizable lead.
Patriots 31, Jets 14
