The New England Patriots fell short of winning the Super Bowl last season, making it but clearly lacking what it was going to take to knock off the Seattle Seahawks. So, the goal this offseason has clearly been to address those gaps.
Just about the biggest way the Patriots could address gaps on offense was by trading for star wide receiver A.J. Brown. Now, there is depth on the outside that can match anyone in the NFL, and the Patriots want to take advantage of that with another Super Bowl run.
There is still some debate among sportsbooks as to where the Patriots stand for next year’s Super Bowl, though. FanDuel, for instance, has the Patriots at +1700. That’s tied for sixth with the Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers for the highest odds to win the Super Bowl.
Then, DraftKings has the Patriots sitting at +1600, so a little bit better odds overall. That’s the sixth best odds, with no other teams tying the Patriots with that mark, to win the Super Bowl.
How the A.J. Brown Trade Moved the New England Patriots Super Bowl Odds
GettyNew England Patriots WR A.J. Brown
Anytime a team makes a major move like the one the Patriots did, there’s probably going to be some level of movement in the odds to win something like the Super Bowl.
Focusing on DraftKings, prior to the A.J. Brown trade, the Patriots had the same +1600 odds. So, that didn’t change. What did change, though, was how many teams had better odds to win it all than New England. The Philadelphia Eagles were previously ranked at +1500, but have now slipped to +1700, behind the Patriots.
Also causing movement around the same time that the Patriots traded for Brown was the Los Angeles Rams trading for Myles Garrett. It was a move that, comfortably, made the Rams the favorite to win the Super Bowl in the NFL.
Of course, being a favorite isn’t a guarantee of anything. Prior to last season, the Patriots were +8000 and the Seattle Seahawks were +6000. That’s equivalent to about where DraftKings has the New York Giants or New Orleans Saints right now. So, these types of odds are worth a grain of salt.
Patriots Get Critical Prediction for the 2026 Season
GettyNew England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye
There is going to be a lot of debate about the Patriots going into the 2026 season. The criticism of last year’s schedule and skepticism that New England was a bit of a flash in the pan is going to lead to plenty of criticism. That includes from Sports Illustrated‘s Conor Orr.
Orr recently predicted that the Patriots will fail to win 10 games next season. That’s after they went 14-3 a season ago and played in the Super Bowl.
“After a 14–3 season and a Super Bowl run comes the crash,” Orr wrote. “In almost every conceivable way, that 2024 Lions team was much better than the 2025 Patriots team that actually reached the Super Bowl. Regression happens. Schedule-induced hangovers happen.”
The Patriots do have a much more difficult schedule to navigate in 2026. In particular, at the start of the season, New England will face a historically difficult stretch, which should be a dead giveaway to where this team is heading. To open the 2026 season, the Patriots will see three division winners. That’s before taking on the Buffalo Bills in Week 4, a major AFC East contender.
Beyond that, there are some major quirks in the Patriots schedule. That includes the difficult first month or so, but extends to just how many primetime and weeknight games the Patriots have to navigate, including on Wednesday to open the season.
Patriots Updated Super Bowl Odds Following A.J. Brown Trade