The Patriots (+3) will take the field at Gillette Stadium for the first time this season as they welcome the Baltimore Ravens for a Week 3 showdown. Despite traveling to Foxboro, the Ravens sit as a 3-point favorite on the DraftKings Sportsbook. New England did see the line move in their favor during the week, dropping to a 2.5-point underdog before shifting back to the opening spread. The point total in this one now sits at 44.0 after opening at 43.5.
Here are five bets to watch throughout New England's home opener.
Mac Attack
While Jones probably won't put up a repeat performance of what Tua Tagovailoa did against Balitmore last weekend (469 yards and six touchdowns), it would be no surprise if the Patriots' passing attack found some life on Sunday.
The Ravens defense has surrendered a league worst 805 passing yards through two games this season. While much of that has come as opposing teams are forced to pass and play catch-up with Baltimore out to an early lead, it would be no surprise if a similar game format takes place in New England as the Patriots are underdogs. Jones put up 252 passing yards last weekend against a tough Steelers defense, and look for him to continue to build momentum against a banged up Ravens secondary.
The pick: Mac Jones Over 243.5 passing yards (-105)
Money Meyers
After dealing with a knee injury throughout the week, a limited practice on Friday gives Meyers a chance to suit up on Sunday. If he does, he'll have an opportunity to feast against the Ravens defense that we just mentioned has given up the most passing yards in the league.
Through two games, Meyers leads New England's pass catchers in targets (13), receptions (9), and receiving yards (150). He's posted a majority of those numbers from the slot, where he's lined up on over 50 percent of his offensive snaps. He'll now welcome the Ravens' slot corners to town that have allowed a league high 218 passing yards and four passing touchdowns.
The pick: Jakobi Meyers Over 48.5 receiving yards (-120)
Henry is Him
It's been a slow start to the year for tight end Hunter Henry. Besides the Patriots completely abandoning their two-tight end package in Week 2, Henry has just two receptions on four targets this season. His 7.5 percent target share is also the worst among tight ends who have run at least 50 routes, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Patriots need to get their tight end going, specifically in the red zone after Henry led the team with nine receiving touchdowns last season. While the Ravens have surrendered just 60 receiving yards to opposing tight ends this year, they've allowed both Tyler Conklin and Mike Gesicki to haul in touchdowns in consecutive weeks. We'll take the chance that Henry snaps out of his funk and keeps the scoring streak alive.
The pick: Hunter Henry Anytime TD scorer (+400)
Dangerous from Distance
Sunday's matchup features quite a battle at the kicker position between veterans Nick Folk and Justin Tucker. Since arriving to New England in 2019, Folk has been one of the most consistent kickers in the league hitting at around a 90 percent clip.
On the other sideline sits Justin Tucker, who is widely considered the best kicker in football. The six-time Pro Bowler and four-time First-Team All Pro has showcased his leg since entering the league in 2012. His 91.1 percent hit mark is the highest percentage of any kicker in league history, while Tucker also holds the record for the longest field goal in NFL history after he struck a 66-yard game winning field goal last season.
"This guy's really reset the bar," Bill Belichick said of Tucker on Friday. "No miss kicks, accuracy is very good, distance, range. He really shortens the field. He makes the field about ten yards shorter than most everybody has it. Not just with his leg strength, but the fact of his accuracy and how good he is from long range as well."
Both teams trust their veteran kickers, so it would be no surprise to see them bang one in from distance on a 70 degree day in Foxboro.
The pick: Longest Field Goal Made Yards - Over 46.5 (-110)
Foxboro Frenzy
Slowing down Lamar Jackson is no easy task. It's clear what the 2019 NFL MVP can do with his legs in the run game, but Jackson's work as a pocket passer has been excellent to begin the season. The Patriots have been solid defensively in the first two weeks, but there's areas of the defense that Jackson could be able to exploit that Tagovailoa and Mitchell Trubisky weren't able to, especially down the field.
As Jackson and the Ravens have the ability to score form anywhere on the field, the Patriots will need to be able to move the ball in chip in some explosive plays of their own. As mentioned above, there should be some room through the air as New England looks to build off of their improved offensive performance from last week back at home - where their last six games have gone over the point total.
The pick: Total Over 44 (-110)
