Colts Bettors Beware of Bill Belichick's Record Coming Off a Bye
By Ben Heisler
When it comes to coaching records coming off a bye, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is at the top of the mountain. Reid coached teams have gone 20-3 with an extra week of rest throughout his career,
But if you descend just a tad bit lower, you'll find the coaching GOAT, Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots, nearby.
Via Patriots reporter Evan Lazar, Belichick is 15-6 lifetime coming off a bye over his career in New England. He also has 13 wins against the spread with an extra week to prepare as well, making the matchup this Saturday evening against the Indianapolis Colts a little bit more intriguing.
The #Patriots are 15-6 in the Belichick era coming off the bye week during the regular season. That's actually a slightly worse win percentage (0.71) than when they aren't coming off the bye week (0.73)
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) December 14, 2021
Indianapolis has moved to 2.5-point home favorites this week vs. New England at WynnBET Sportsbook when they kick off Saturday evening from Lucas Oil Stadium. There's also been a little bit of bulletin board material after Colts linebacker Bobby Okereke fired a few shots at Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones
Could the Patriots Be Looking Ahead a Week?
New England holds a two-game AFC East lead over the Buffalo Bills, who they face next week in Foxboro. A win would end any chances for Buffalo to come back and win the division, but would also greatly diminish their playoff opportunities in a crowded AFC West.
Meanwhile, the Patriots have the third easiest schedule remaining amongst playoff contenders, with only the Jaguars at home and the Dolphins on the road to close out the season.
It's #NationalCupcakeDay, so here are the easiest remaining NFL schedules based on opponent record:
— BetSided (@BetSided) December 15, 2021
1. #GoBucs: 18-33
2. #Titans: 21-30-1
3. #ForeverNE: 22-30
4. #GoPackGo / #AZCardinals: 22-29-1 pic.twitter.com/DRStTYYopx
The sharps have moved the line for Indianapolis up anywhere from a half a point to a full point this week at WynnBET, and while it feels like a square bet, I expect New England to play well off the bye fully rested and not only cover, but win outright at +120 odds.
However, if you want to still take New England, but do it at a better price, consider using them in a two-way teaser at WynnBET this week, moving the line from +2.5 to +8.5 with another team and getting the new line past the standard numbers of "3" and "7."
In this example, you can pair them up with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are a short underdog at home vs. the Tennessee Titans.
