The New England Patriots are not accustomed to the season they just concluded: an 8-9 record and third place in the AFC East.
Sports betting in Massachusetts is now legal, but Patriots fans and bettors aren't quite rushing to get their futures bets in.
For the Patriots, the upcoming NFL Draft (April 27-29 in Kansas City) looms large. New England figures to need to improve on both sides of the ball, especially on offense. The outcome of the draft will have a major impact on the Patriots playoff chances.
Last week, the team announced it is formally looking for an offensive coordinator, as the experiment of Joe Judge and Matt Patricia handling the offense this season produced the worst offensive output under Belichick since 1995. Belichick then was coaching the Cleveland Browns.
The Patriots’ passing attack ranked 20th (206.4 passing yards per game) as second-year quarterback Mac Jones was still growing in the position and his supporting cast was not anything to brag about.
In 14 games this season, Jones threw for just shy of 3,000 yards (2,997, to be exact) with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions (84.8 passer rating).
Draft Setup
With Massachusetts betting apps now live, you may be able to place some unique wagers on the NFL Draft.
Sportsbooks such as BetMGM Massachusetts are accepting bets, so here is some early prep work from BetMassachusetts.com.
The Patriots have the 14th overall pick.
BetMassachusetts.com produced hypothetical odds on how the Patriots might select when they are “on the clock.”
On Monday, Addison announced he will pass on his senior season and declare for this year’s NFL Draft.
Addison, a 6-foot, 175-pound wide receiver from Frederick, Md., and former Biletnikoff winner, was the Trojans’ leading wide receiver this season. He has 59 receptions for 875 yards and eight touchdowns after transferring from the University of Pittsburgh.
In 2021 with Pitt, he had 100 catches for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns for the then-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) champions. During his freshman year in 2020, Addison caught 60 passes for 666 yards and four TDs in 10 games.
Clearly, the Patriots need targets like Addison for Jones. Adding a dynamic talent like Addison could help boost New England's 2023 futures odds on WynnBet Massachusetts.
This is the highest the Patriots have selected since 2008, when they used the 10th overall pick on linebacker and current inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo. In 2021, they selected Jones just one pick later, at No. 15 overall.
This year, the Patriots also have one pick each in the second (46) and third rounds (76 from the Carolina Panthers). New England’s remaining draft order features two picks in the fourth round (104 from the Los Angeles Rams and 114) and three picks in the sixth round (170 from the Las Vegas Raiders, 173 from the Panthers and 178).
Keep in mind, BetMassachusetts is home to all the latest Massachusetts sports betting promos.
That includes our review of the Caesars Sportsbook Massachusetts promo code, which bettors can use to wager on a host of Patriots futures now that everything is live.
