The New York Jets will travel to Foxborough, Massachusetts to take on the Patriots in the last week of the regular season. This AFC East matchup will kick off at 1:00 PM/ET.
The Patriots (12-3) are in control of the AFC’s number one seed. With a victory over New York, the Patriots will enter the playoffs with home-field advantage and a first-round bye. While New England can fall no farther than the number-two seed, a loss coupled with a Pittsburgh win would give the Steelers the number one seed. This could be a potential rematch in the AFC Championship game with New England, should both teams make it that far.
The Jets will end their tumultuous season with a visit to Foxborough and a chance to face the demons of their past. New York is out of the playoff picture, but many players on the verge of free agency have a lot to play for. This game’s all about pride for the Jets. With a victory, they would hand a crushing blow to their divisional foes. Expect the Jets to play the Patriots tough in a game will certainly mean a lot to those players playing for a contract.
The Patriots control their destiny.
New England enters week 17 with motivation to win. Usually, by week 17 the playoffs have cemented themselves and there isn’t a lot to play for. If New England wins, however, they’ll receive a home-field advantage. The Patriots are nearly unbeatable at home, and their most devastating playoff losses have come on the road. The Patriots will need a victory or a Steelers defeat to secure home field. The Patriots will go all out to with this game, and that means playing their starters for most, if not the entire game.
While the Patriots defense has improved over the course of the season, New England still ranks near the bottom of the league in yards allowed per game. According to NFL Stats, the Patriots rank 29th in yards allowed per game. That’s not a good sign for a team heading to the playoffs. One example of this was against the Bills in week 16. The Patriots allowed little known Deonte Thompson to gain 91 receiving yards on just five targets. New England’s secondary has allowed a plethora of maddening big plays this season. Going into the playoffs, expect potential foes to attack New England through the air, where they seem susceptible to the occasional big play.
Despite New England’s tendency to give up chunks of yards to the opposing offense, they’ve remained rather consistent in the red zone. According to NFL Stats, the Patriots rank 7th in points scored per game. That’s a significant drop from first overall in 2016 when they had the league’s best scoring defense. Their 19.3 points allowed this season, however, is right around their 2014 total, when they ran the table and won the Super Bowl. Facing a Jets squad that struggled to move the ball against the Chargers in week 16, expect the Patriots to sellout against the run and force the Jets’ quarterback, Bryce Petty, to try to win the game with his arm.
The Jets last hurrah!
The Jets players have gone through a tumultuous season. At times, New York played head and shoulders above their talent level. Early in the season, they went on a three-game winning streak that had the league taking notice. It’s not that the Jets looked like a contender by any stretch, but they played opponents tough. The Jets hired head coach Todd Bowls a few years ago to change the culture of the Jets locker room, and while it hasn’t gone as successfully as New York fans might have hoped, he’s still managed to get a lot out of a group that, on paper, looked as bad as it could get.
Facing the Patriots in Foxborough to end the season is bitter-sweet. New England has captured their 15th AFC East title in the Tom Brady era, and New York is still searching for that franchise quarterback and a winning formula. If New York goes out and upsets the Patriots in a game that they have every intention of playing to win, then it will say a lot about this Jets team.
Patriots vs Jets Betting Lines
BetOnline.ag has the Patriots favored to win the game by 14.5 points. The over/under on total points scored is 43. You can read our full BetOnline review here.
My Pick
The Dolphins looked dead in the water when New England faced them in week 15 and look at what happened. Don’t make the mistake and think that because the talent levels don’t match up, New York cannot win this game. The loss to Miami, however, was a wake up call the Patriots needed. Expect New England to go out and execute their game plan and get an early lead. Expect the Patriots to have this game well in hand by the third quarter.
Play: Patriots -14.5 @ BetOnline.ag
New England Patriots betting • New York Jets • NFL Week 17 Betting Pick