Thursday Night NFL Grudge Match - New York Jets vs. New England Patriots

Sole possession of first place in the AFC East and the inside track at a spot in the NFL playoffs are on the line Thursday night when the New York Jets take on the New England Patriots in what could be an epic NFL betting match-up. New England currently sits as 3-point favorites on the sports betting line with a game ‘total’ of 42.

Some NFL betting trends to consider for this match-up are: Head-to-head, the favorite is 8-2-1 in the past 11 meetings, but the Jets are an abysmal 2-9-1 in the past 12 against the betting line versus the Patriots; four of the past five games between these teams played in Foxboro have landed under the closing ‘total’.

New England (6-3, 5-4 ATS) might have taken an unorthodox route to this point of the season, but it still finds itself in its familiar spot atop the AFC East, with a chance to separate itself with a victory. The Patriots are coming off an impressive win against the Buffalo Bills, a game in which their defense completely shut down Trent Edwards and Co., despite losing LB Adalius Thomas to a season-ending injury. The Bill amassed just 58 yards in the second half as the Patriots pulled away, also ensuring that the Internet sports betting ‘total’ fell under for the fourth time in their past five games.

Undrafted rookie RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, one of the league’s biggest surprises, continued an impressive string of performances with a career-high 105 yards rushing. He also scored a touchdown for the fourth straight game. QB Matt Cassell was also effective, completing 23-of-34 passes for 234 yards and a score. Wide receiver Wes Welker also set an NFL record by catching at least six passes in each of his team’s first nine games of the season.

New York is coming off one of the most impressive wins in franchise history, a 47-3 whitewashing of the lowly St. Louis Rams. The Jets scored 40 points in the first half en route to victory, with running back Thomas Jones carrying the load offensively. The former Virginia star rushed for 149 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries, gashing the Rams defense time and time again. QB Brett Favre was also a solid 14-of-19 for 167 yards and a score.

This football betting affair hinges on a couple key factors. One is New York’s ability to make the improving Cassell uncomfortable in the pocket. If the Jets can force some bad decisions from the inexperienced quarterback, they stand a chance of springing the road upset. But if they let his confidence continue to grow with each completion, they’re in trouble. The Patriots, meanwhile, would do well to get their opponent in the hole early. New York has struggled mightily in Foxboro over the years, and a poor start could leave the visitors demoralized and more importantly, could make the Jets one-dimensional.

Are the Jets a different team since their 19-10 loss to the Patriots in Week 2? Or are they simply overmatched by the Patriots, who look to put a stranglehold on the AFC East yet again? If you’ve got a good read on the game, you need to visit BetUS.com to place your online wagers. BetUS Sportsbook is the industry standard in online sports gambling, and the home of the best NFL lines around