NFL odds: Patriots vs. Dolphins Week 2 spread among biggest of decade

The New England Patriots opened as massive betting favorites over the Miami Dolphins entering their Week 2 matchup in south Florida, and the spread has continued to climb into record territory.

The Patriots are 18.5-point favorites at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas as of early Tuesday afternoon. The Dolphins lost 59-10 to the Baltimore Ravens at home in Week 1, and they are likely to be the worst team in the NFL this season.

It's still not close to the biggest Patriots spread ever. New England entered Week 12 of the 2007 season as 25-point favorites at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Pats were 10-0 at the time and Donovan McNabb was out with an injury, forcing the Eagles to start backup quarterback A.J. Feeley. Philly nearly pulled off the upset but lost 31-28.

It's certainly possible the Patriots could close as 20-plus point favorites by the time kickoff rolls around Sunday in Miami. The last time the Patriots were favored by 20 or more points was against the Indianapolis Colts in 2011. The Colts were 0-11 and Peyton Manning was out of the season because of an injury. The Colts covered in a 31-24 loss.

New England's most recent game as a favorite of 17-plus points came on Christmas Eve in 2016. The Patriots were 17-point favorites over the New York Jets and won 41-3 at Gillette Stadium.

The largest points spread since 1970 was in 2013 when the Denver Broncos were 26.5-point favorites against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars covered in a 35-19 loss.

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The Broncos-Jaguars and Patriots-Colts matchups noted above are the only games this decade where a team was favored by 20-plus points. If the Patriots remain 18.5-point favorites entering Week 2, it will be the fourth-biggest spread of the decade, trailing only 2013 Broncos-Jaguars, 2011 Patriots-Colts and 2013 Seahawks-Jaguars (Seattle by 19.5 points).

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