Patriots Look Stronger – If They Have Gronk
By Charles Jay
The Miami Dolphins have been stuck in neutral with Joe Philbin as their head coach and Ryan Tannehill as their quarterback. So it is understandable that this is the season where they really have to perform. They are starting off the season tough, however, as the New England Patriots, who are the huge favorites at VietBet to win the AFC East, stand in their way. Sunday pro football betting action at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens begins at 1 PM ET.
Tom Brady looks to get off to a strong start, obviously, but the veteran and future Hall of Famer may feel that he has something extra to prove, after he finished last season eight points under his career passer rating. It will help if he has a healthy Rob Gronkowski, as he ranks with the best tight ends in the business. But Gronkowski has lost 14 games to injury over the last two seasons, and he has not been going full speed in drills, forcing the New England brass to go out and make a trade to bring some insurance in (Tim Wright, from Tampa Bay). In fact, they dealt Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins away for that purpose.
One of Miami’s objectives this season is to keep Tannehill from having to run for his life. He did not get much protection last season, and the Dolphins hope to remedy that by installing Branden Albert at left tackle. Albert gained a reputation as one of the best that his position while he was with the Kansas City Chiefs.
New England won the division last season and posted a 13-5 straight-up record, with the 9-9 mark against the NFL pointspread (this includes playoffs). The Dolphins were 8-8 straight-up, and 9-7 ATS.
In the pro football betting odds that a been placed on this game by the people at VietBet, the Patriots are favored on the road:
New England Patriots -4
Miami Dolphins +4
Over 46.5 Points -110
Under 46.5 Points -110
One thing you can say about Brady is that he should have more familiarity with some of his receivers, including Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dodson. He has already established Justin Edelman as the right fill-in for Wes Welker. Still, the most explosive offensive weapon he may have at his disposal might be running back Shane Vereen, who is dangerous as long as he is healthy. He was dominant in the season opener last year before being lost to injury. Gronkowski, however, is the bread-and-butter guy for Brady, and perhaps with the newly-acquired Wright, the Pats can develop some of that “double-tight end magic” they had when Aaron Hernandez was with the club. VietBet football followers know that he needs to be healthy long enough to make that happen.
And speaking of health, pro football bettors can certainly expect that the Patriots come into this season healthier on defense. Jarod Mayo and Vince Wilfork, the star linebacker and defensive tackle, respectively, returned from injury. And even though New England lost a Aqib Talib at the cornerback spot, (now with Denver) they are inserting Darrelle Reais, who had a Pro Bowl season while with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Revis will most likely blanket Mike Wallace, who is Tannehill’s big-play threat. One of the knocks VietBet patrons have heard about the former Texas A&M quarterback is that he can’t get the ball downfield. As we mentioned, the offensive line has been overhauled, and part of the reason for that was the scandal that developed involving Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin. This new group were not overly impressive in the pre-season in opening up holes for runners. That’s important, because Miami went out and acquired Knowshon Marino to add some productivity to the ground attack. They also believe that Lamar Miller may be ready for a breakout season.
Let’s put it this way – if there aren’t a few breakouts on the Miami squad, Philbin and Tannehill may both get sent packing.
VietBet has what you are looking for in terms of value in your pro football betting this season, because they give you the best odds, courtesy of their “reduced juice” policy. Great bonuses and lightning-quick payouts should make this one a no-brainer!