New England Patriots Pose Gambling Challenge for Sports Bettors
One thing has become clear to National Football League observers about the New England Patriots this season: there is no longer a pattern as to what will occur game to game. Gamblers trying to figure the right side of the spread are lost.
Tonight's blowout loss to the San Diego Chargers by a 30-10 score illustrates a low in a season of peaks and valleys, so unlike Patriots teams of recent years.
After the season-ending injury to quarterback Tom Brady in the first game of the year, this was much speculation but no certainty as to what direction the Patriots might follow. Name free agents were flown in, only to be sent home without leaving the airport, so as not to shake the confidence of backup Matt Cassel.
Since then, Cassel has led the team in a turbulent display of inconsistency. The Pats beat the Jets with a tough defensive effort right at the time everyone was thinking the New Englanders might fall from their lofty perch.
Cassel, the man who had not ever started a college or pro game, played soundly. Loyal fans swore Coach Bill Belichick would develop Cassel and arrange gameplans to win.
But then, a drubbing by Miami, one of the league's weakest teams, sent hopes spiralling. Cassel threw for only 131 yards, and the defense couldn't slow Ronnie Brown.
Yet, after a bye week, Cassel led a nice aerial comeback victory against an improving San Fransisco squad. Randy Moss caught a bomb for a touchdown, causing fans to reminesce about last year's vertical attack.
Now, the Chargers make New England look bad in every facet of the game. The bookies and Internet casinos are having a tough time setting lines, not knowing which Patriots team will show.
Edmund Crumley, Online Casino Advisory's sports analyst, says, 'The best play on the Patriots this year is to stay uninvolved. There are too many variables working at cross purposes right now. Cassel's inexperience and the aging of the defense are offset by the confidence and experience of the team as a whole.
"Figure the New England Patriots to confound those wagering at international casinos or Las Vegas sportsbooks for the remainder of a season which will see them fighting for the last playoff spot."
