The AFC East has turned into a fascinating battle this season with all 4 teams being competitive, which has not always been the case. As such, the divisional matchups, such as Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and New York Jets, are all vital games. The Patriots are bottom of the division at 3-4 after a rough outing against the Bears their last time out, while the 5-2 Jets are flying high after 4 straight wins — but have just suffered a pair of costly injuries to rookie running back Breece Hall and offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker.& #39; Our NFL expert has picks, predictions and best bets for this matchup, so let’s break it all down.
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NFL Week 8 New England Patriots vs New York Jets prediction
The Patriots are not accustomed to occupying 4th place in the AFC East, and they will want to change that situation as quickly as possible. New England had posted comfortable wins over the Lions (29-0) and Browns (38-15) before suffering a stunning 33-14 loss at Chicago on Monday Night Football. The Patriots are set to start second-season QB' Mac Jones again after rookie Bailey Zappe impressed while Jones was injured and he will need a strong performance to avoid a prolonged QB controversy.
The Jets started the season 1-2 (with the win being a huge late rally at Cleveland), but things have really taken off for them over the last month with successive wins over the Steelers, Dolphins, Packers and Broncos, with a number of their young players leading the way. However, one of their rookie stars, RB Breece Hall, is now out for the season with a torn ACL, so Michael Carter is set to lead the ground game, at least until new arrival James Robinson gets up to speed. It’s a fascinating matchup, so let’s check out the odds and our expert’s best bets for the game.