Red-hot New England Patriots are road underdogs versus Buffalo Bills

The final game of Week 13 could have significant impact on AFC East race

The New England Patriots certainly appear to be back.

Back to being that intimidating, relentless football machine that simply goes out with the unwavering will of head coach Bill Belichick and wins game after game after game.

Even with a rookie quarterback, the Patriots have forged a six-game winning streak after an understandably slow start to their season, and they have now taken over top spot in the AFC East Division, ahead of the Buffalo Bills.

That’s what makes Monday’s matchup so intriguing.

The Bills entered this season as one of the contenders – not just to win the AFC but legitimately challenge for a Super Bowl title. At the beginning of September, the odds on Buffalo winning the Super Bowl were 13.00 at PlayNow.com. The odds on New England were 29.00 and dipped as long as 101.00 back in the middle of October.

The Patriots made the choice this summer to go with rookie Mac Jones at quarterback just months after selecting him 15 ^th overall in the NFL Draft.

Not even a year later, the Patriots have shrugged off a 2-4 start to the season, and now have the longest winning streak in the league, just in time for the playoff race. Jones is now the favourite to be named the league’s top offensive rookie player, and the Patriots now have odds at PlayNow.com of 11.00 to win the Super Bowl.

The learning curve of a rookie quarterback entering the NFL can be a steep one, and of all the quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft – including No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence – Jones has made the quickest adjustment from college to the pro game. He has completed 70% of his passes this season, throwing 16 touchdowns to eight interceptions.

As of Friday, the Patriots were 2.5-point road underdogs going into the Monday night game in Buffalo. New England has, over their winning streak, emerged as one of the top teams in the NFL against the spread, covering in all six of those games. Only once did they enter one of those six games as an underdog.

The weather in Buffalo will also be something to keep an eye on. Forecasts as of Friday showed rain, wind, and even the potential for snow.

The Bills have been up and down since the middle of October, with a 3-3 record in their last six games. This bumpy streak has included an embarrassing loss to Jacksonville, and even more embarrassing loss – at home – to Indianapolis in Week 11. That’s when the Bills allowed Colts running back Jonathan Taylor to run for 185 yards rushing and score four touchdowns along the ground.

The Bills will certainly want to rebound on their home turf.

Their motivation should lie squarely with the fact this is a divisional game, and this matchup could go a long way in deciding who wins the AFC East. There also isn’t much room for error in the AFC playoff picture.

The Bills got bad news last week, following their U.S. Thanksgiving win over New Orleans, that cornerback Tre’Davious White had suffered a torn ACL and is out for the remainder of the season, which is a huge loss for the Bills defence.

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