For the 1st time in the 21st century the New England Patriots take the field for a game without Bill Belichik. Jerod Mayo begins his tenure as an NFL Head Coach as the Patriots and Bengals clash in Cincinnati.
The Patriots are in full rebuild mode. Journeyman Jacoby Brissett leads an offense lacking difference-makers both on the offensive line and at the skill positions. Their defense is equally challenged having traded away their top pass rusher in Matthew Judon to Atlanta and losing Christian Barmore to injury (blood clots). Drake Maye is the heir apparent to the QB1 position, but he may have won by landing on the injured list himself with a season-ending knee injury. This team will have to grind to reach its preseason projected win total of 4.5.
Expectations are high in Cincinnati, but the Bengals have their own list of issues headlined by the holdout of WR1 Ja’Marr Chase. The star receiver has 2 seasons remaining on his contract but is adamant about becoming the highest-paid receiver in the game. He did practice Friday, but his status for Sunday’s game is questionable. Next is Joe Burrow. The unquestioned leader of this franchise is looking to bounce back from injuries last season that limited him to 10 games. Even taking those situations into consideration, the Bengals are rightful heavy favorites against the New England.
The Patriots lead the all-time series against the Bengals having won 17 of 27 against them. Cincinnati won the last matchup against the Pats 22-18 on Christmas Eve in 2022. Fun fact: This is the 4th time the Patriots and Bengals open a season against each other.
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How to watch Patriots vs. Bengals live Sunday afternoon:
- Date: Sunday, September 8, 2024
- Time: 1 PM EST
- Site: Paycor Stadium
- City: Cincinnati, OH
- TV/Streaming: CBS
Want to check out the other games on the NFL schedule this week? We’ve got you covered right here on NBC Sports with all the matchup, venue, game-time and TV/streaming info so you won’t miss any of the action!
Latest Game odds for New England vs. Cincinnati - Week 1
The latest odds as of Saturday morning via DraftKings:
- Moneyline: New England (+275), Cincinnati (-345)
- Spread: Bengals -7.5
- Total: 40.5
This game opened at Cincinnati -8 with a Total of 43. New England’s offense struggled in the preseason (understatement) and that has pushed the Total down substantially.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NFL schedule!
NBC Sports Bet Best Bets
Vaughn Dalzell is counting on Tee Higgins to do damage Sunday even with a sore hamstring:
“One receiver I like in the 1 o’clock games is Tee Higgins…He should be able to feast and he ended the 2023 season with 3 TDs in his last 3 games. There are a lot of expectations in Cincinnati this season. I think Higgins helps the Bengals get off to a solid start as he finds the endzone Sunday.”
Patriots vs. Bengals team stats, betting trends
· New England is just 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 games
· Cincinnati is favored by 7.5 points Sunday. In the past 25 seasons, teams favored by over a touchdown are 20-36 ATS in Week 1
· New England averaged just 13.88pts/game last season.
· Cincinnati averaged 21.5pts/game last season
Quarterback matchup for New England Patriots vs. Cincinnati Bengals
- Patriots: Jacoby Brissette – the veteran signal-caller returns to New England after a handful of stops around the league. With rookie Drake Maye injured, Brissett is more than a placeholder for Jerod Mayo and the Pats. Brissett saw limited action in 2023 playing 3 games in Washington passing for 224 yards including 3 TDs and 0 INTs
- Bengals: Joe Burrow – the veteran is looking to bounce back after an injury-plagued 2023 that saw him limited to 10 games. Joe Cool threw for 2309 yards in that time completing 66.8% of his passes including 15 TDs and 5 INTs
Player news & injuries
- Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase (contract) practiced Friday but is still questionable for Sunday
- Bengals’ Joe Burrow (wrist) practiced Friday and is expected to play Sunday
- Bengals’ Tee Higgins (hamstring) was limited in practice Friday. Status is doubtful for Sunday.
- Patriots’ Sidy Sow (ankle) has been ruled out of Sunday’s game
- Patriots’ Antonio Gibson (hip) was limited in practice. Status for Sunday is unknown.
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