Most pundits see the AFC East race as a battle between the offensive minded Patriots and the defensively stingy Jets, the two teams which also have the division's best against the spread (ATS) records since 1998, a statistic not lost on NFL betting fans. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 regular season records and pointspread results in parentheses:
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (14-2 SU, 10-5-1 ATS, 13-3 O/U)
Head Coach: Bill Belichick, 12th year, 140-55 SU, 111-79-5 ATS
Future Book Odds Profile: Super Bowl 6/1; AFC Championship 3/1; AFC East 2/3; Over/Under regular season wins 11 1/2.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 1998-2010)
SU: 143-65
ATS: 117-83-8
HF:45-40-5
HD:10-3-1
AF:33-23
AD:30-16-2
Sportsbook Buster: The Patriots are 63-39-2 ATS on the road the last 13 seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: New England has covered 10 of its last 12 visits to New York to face its AFC East rival, the Jets.
Bets and Pieces: The Pats have covered their last seven visits to Buffalo.
Odds and Ends: At 22-8, New England has been terrific against the number within the division the last five years.
Worth a Wager: The Patriots are 10-1 as division road favorites of four or more points.
NEW YORK JETS (11-5 SU, 9-7 ATS, 12-4 O/U)
Head Coach: Rex Ryan, third year, 24-14 SU, 22-16 ATS
Future Book Odds Profile: Super Bowl 16/1; AFC Championship 15/2; AFC East 2/1; Over/Under regular season wins 9 1/2.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 1998-2010)
SU:111-97
ATS: 106-93-9
HF:34-34-3
HD:16-16-1
AF:16-18-1
AD:40-25-4
Sportsbook Buster: Since 1998, the Jets are 42-26-4 as road underdogs.
Sports Betting Angle: New York has covered seven of its last eight visits to Miami.
Bets and Pieces: The Jets have covered six of their last seven the week after playing Buffalo.
Odds and Ends: The "over" is 29-18-1 the past three seasons.
Worth a Wager: NY has covered four of its last five before its bye week.
MIAMI DOLPHINS (7-9 SU, 8-8 ATS, 7-9 O/U)
Head Coach: Tony Sparano, fourth year, 25-24 SU, 24-25 ATS
Future Book Odds Profile: Super Bowl 66/1; AFC Championship 33/1; AFC East 9/1; Over/Under regular season wins 7 1/2.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 1998-2010)
SU: 105-102
ATS: 101-101-6
HF:31-43-1
HD:13-16-1
AF:15-12
AD:42-31-4
Sportsbook Buster: The Dolphins are just 44-59-2 ATS at home the last 13 seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: Miami has failed to cover seven of its last eight home openers.
Bets and Pieces: The Dolphins have covered five of their last six visits to San Diego.
Odds and Ends: Miami has covered six straight games versus Denver.
Worth a Wager: The Dolphins are 11-1 as non-division underdogs of seven or more points.
BUFFALO BILLS (4-12 SU, 8-7-1 ATS, 6-10 O/U)
Head Coach: Chan Gailey, second year, 4-12 SU, 8-7-1 ATS
Future Book Odds Profile: Super Bowl 150/1; AFC Championship 80/1; AFC East 40/1; Over/Under regular season wins 5 1/2.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 1998-2010)
SU: 91-117
ATS: 104-95-7
HF:32-27-1
HD:18-23-2
AF:11-8-2
AD:43-39-2
Sportsbook Buster: The Bills are 6-12 ATS within the AFC East the last three seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: Buffalo has covered nine of its last 10 meetings with Cincinnati.
Bets and Pieces: The Bills have covered five straight encounters with Washington.
Odds and Ends: Buffalo has covered five of its last seven at home versus Miami.
Worth a Wager: The Bills have covered five consecutive games versus teams from the AFC West.
Legend:
SU= Straight Up
ATS = Against the Spread
HF= Home Favorite
HD = Home Underdog
AF= Away Favorite
AD= Away Underdog
O/U = Over/Under
This is the first of an eight-part NFL 2011 preview series.
Next: Betting the AFC North
This article was written by Luken Karel for http://www.thegreek.com. The Greek Sportsbook & Casino is host to one of the top online sportsbooks offering college football betting and sports betting on NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and all other major sports. The Greek is a must have sports betting and entertainment portal with one of the largest wagering menus available online. Article reproductions must include a link pointing to http://www.thegreek.com
