The New England Patriots set down a dangerous marker in their 2019 NFL season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, dominating their AFC rivals at Gillette Stadium. The reigning Super Bowl champions dropped their banner from their triumph in the 2018 campaign and then produced a performance to humble Mike Tomlin’s men. At the age of 42, Tom Brady was on point, throwing three touchdowns to put over 30 points on the board.

Perhaps the most dangerous aspect for the rest of the NFL was the display of the Patriots’ defense. Bill Belichick’s men shut down the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII. They were on point once again to limit Ben Roethlisberger and company to only three points in their opener. As a result, New England are the leading contenders in the odds on American football betting at Space Casino at +375, ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints. The Patriots were the last team to win back-to-back crowns in 2004 and they appear to be on track to achieve the feat once more.


 

If the odds were not stacked enough in favor of the Patriots, their move for Antonio Brown could push them further towards glory. Brown talked his way off the Oakland Raiders’ roster, getting involved in several disputes with the franchise over a number of issues, including his helmet and his off-season workouts. It resulted in his release by the Raiders and New England acted swiftly to add the All-Pro to their roster. Brown has been outstanding in the nine years of his NFL career and, now working with the GOAT, he could be on course to win the Super Bowl for the first time.

New England’s path towards Super Bowl LIV could be obstructed by the presence of the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes almost produced a memorable comeback in the AFC Championship Game last season. His performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week one suggests that he has not lost any of his vigor from his 2018 MVP campaign. The Patriots will combat with the strongest secondary in the league, led by cornerback Stephon Gilmore. He and his team-mates locked down the Steelers’ wideouts in Foxborough and are capable of performing a similar feat against the Chiefs as they did for 30 minutes in Kansas City back in January.

The loss of Rob Gronkowski to retirement left the Patriots without a top-quality pass-catcher outside of Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman. Now with Brown along with Phillip Dorsett, Josh Gordon, James White, Sony Michel and Rex Burkhead, New England appear to have the weapons to go score-for-score with any side in the NFL. Their schedule is a favorable one, especially in the AFC East, where the rest of the division attempt to outdo one another in their ineptitude.

Belichick’s only concern could be injuries, particularly on the offensive line. David Andrews has already been ruled out of the campaign due to blood clots, while Marcus Cannon suffered a shoulder injury in the opener. Depth along the line has been an issue during the summer and has been an Achilles’ heel for New England in past Super Bowl defeats to the New York Giants. Other than that, it’s hard to see how they’re not going to be competing in Miami for a seventh Vince Lombardi Trophy.