Vegas Odds Give Patriots Bleak Outlook in Week One vs. Bengals

The New England Patriots look like heavy underdogs to kick the season off.

Dec 24, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; The New England Patriots take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Vegas odds are finally in for week one of the upcoming NFL season amid the league's recent schedule release, and it's safe to say things don't look pretty for the New England Patriots.

New England will look to start the season off on all cylinders as they'll be up against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. This would likely be a matchup any team around the NFL would have circled on their calendar as one of their toughest on the year, and the Patriots will take that challenge on from day one.

And as the sportsbooks see it, the Patriots are entering this game as heavy underdogs.

According to recent odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, the Bengals will be strong nine-point favorites against the Patriots in Week One. It effectively pins New England as having the steepest chances to come out of week one with a win, with the Arizona Cardinals trailing behind at +7 facing the Buffalo Bills.

The ugly +9 odds New England holds add on to their brutal 2024 projections. The Patriots are one of two teams in the NFL to be underdogs in every one of their regular season games, right next to the Carolina Panthers-- not the best company to stand alongside.

With a rookie head coach and quarterback set to take center stage, many foresee this unit seeing its fair share of growing pains this coming year. Upon entering a new era, there's bound to be some uncertainty about what lies ahead. However, make no mistake that this roster still has what it takes to remain competitive with most in the league.

With better health on the Patriots side and some improvements on the offensive side of the ball, New England has ample opportunity to grow significantly from the ugly product we saw in 2023. Kicking things off with Burrow and the Bengals may be a rude awakening, but hope for this group is far from lost moving forward.

As doubt keeps casting over how the Patriots will pan out for next season, it sets the table for this team to leap over expectations for a roster that's increasingly become one of the most underrated in the NFL.

---

Follow Patriots Country on X for more New England Patriots coverage!