There is an enormous difference between the history of the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. One of the columns that are magnified is under the letter “L” in the standings.
Tom Brady may play a role in changing that in 2020. However, Las Vegas isn’t buying yet and a remarkable run appears to be coming to a close.
Per ESPN, the Buccaneers have opened as a 6.5-point underdog for their first game of the season in 2020 at the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 13. If that number holds in any way, shape, or form and Brady and the Bucs remain an underdog, it will be the first time the G.O.A.T. is a quarterback for a team with ‘dog status since Week 2 of 2015, when the New England Patriots were 1-point underdogs at the Buffalo Bills. Brady was favored in his next 74 starts.
“Can’t imagine that will ever be broken,” said John Murray, executive director of the SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas. “How many guys will ever be that good, play for a coach that good, in a system that good and in a division that bad for that long?”
Brady has had success as an underdog in the regular season. He led the Patriots to outright wins in 29 of his 47 regular-season games as an underdog. New England went 33-13-1 against the spread as an underdog in Brady starts.
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young owns the second-longest streak of consecutive regular-season games as the favorite with 62 from 1993-97. Former St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner was favored in 48 straight from 1999- 2003.
Meanwhile, Brady’s former team will apparently continue its run as a favorite.
Caesars installed the Patriots as 5.5-point favorites over the Miami Dolphins in their Week 1 game at Gillette Stadium. New England enters the season having been favored in 63 consecutive regular-season games, also a record for the Super Bowl era.