NFL Week 1 Patriots at Jets

NFL Football Week 1 - New England Patriots at New York Jets 1:00 PM EST

The Patriots are currently a 6.5 favorite with a total of 41 at sportsbook.com

A burgeoning rivalry continues to unfold in the opening week with New England heading across the bridge into New Jersey to take on the Jets.

The Patriots are looking to extend an 8-0 ATS record on the road in this head-to-head series.

No team had a better offseason on paper than New England, signing Randy Moss and Adalius Thomas. While Moss' value is to be determined, the best acquisition of all might involve be receiver Wes Welker, giving Tom Brady a reliable underneath coverage ball catcher that is great on third downs and bailout throws.

Expectations are as high as ever, but getting the new pieces to mesh will be Bill Belichick's biggest task.

In New York, head coach Eric Mangini had Jets fans frolicking with delight in compiling a 10-7 SU & 11-6 ATS season after a 4-12 mark in 2005.

Whether the '05 or '06 mark is more indicative of this team figures to be determined this year. Mangini put all the right people in all the right places and they performed at or past capabilities.

Now Mangini hopes his team can make sweet music and follow the works of author and poet William Blake's "Songs of Innocence and Experience". After a season where everything came together in idyllic way, the test is to build on lessons learned and use experiences to build stronger foundation.

This will not be a simple task just from a scheduling perspective, trading the meek NFC North for the far more powerful NFC East.

The Patriots are a heavy six-point road favorite and are 8-0 ATS in New York and the visitor overall in this series is 13-3 ATS. Add the fact that the Patriots are 13-4 against the spread the last three seasons as road favorites.
 
The Flyboys clipped New England once last year on the road but were rudely dismissed in the playoffs 37-16.

The visitor in this series is 13-3 ATS and the Patriots are 13-4 against the spread the last three seasons as road favorites.

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