Mac Jones is likely to start for the New England Patriots sooner rather than later and the NFL betting odds back that up – but how soon is sooner?
The former Alabama signal caller was taken by Bill Belichick with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft as New England looks for the successor to Tom Brady.
We could out just how much Bill hates losing in the offseason – he went on an unprecedented spending spree in free agency on the back of a miserable 7-9 season and third place in the AFC East.
What are the odds Mac Jones starts?
Belichick then followed that up by selecting Jones in the draft as he looks to get the Pats back to winning ways in a hurry.
New England opens its regular season in primetime against the Miami Dolphins Sunday September 12, and FanDuel, Unibet and SugarHouse are all offering props on which QB gets the call to start.
Cam Newton, 7-8 as a starter in his first year in New England, is favorite to get the nod from Belichick, he’s best value at -185 with FanDuel but as short as -305 with Unibet and SugarHouse.
Jones meanwhile, seen as pro-ready and somebody who should be able to step in to start early, is available at +225 with Unibet and SugarHouse.
Newton’s experience would appear to give him the best shot to win the starting job for Week 1, even if Belichick has refused to anoint a starter and persistently says all his signal callers will be given the same shot.
2021 is a big year for Bill and the Pats – it’s pretty clear now who was the key man in that dynasty for so long. Brady is now cuddling another Lombardi Trophy in Tampa while New England seeks to rebuild.
Belichick of course has never won a championship as a head coach without Brady. Brady has very definitely now won one without Bill. Ouch. If you like Belichick to bounce all the way back to Coach Of The Year honors, he’s a +1800 shot to do so.
Jones is clearly expected to be the long-term answer under center in Foxboro – he became the all-time single-season passing leader for the Crimson Tide in 2020 with 4500 yards. This despite the shortened campaign due to COVID. He averaged 346.2 yards per game.
Jones also happens to be the highest quartertback ever drafted by Belichick…Unlikely though it is, he’s +30000 odds to be league MVP with BetMGM and Borgata in his rookie season.