NFL Week 14 odds: Patriots are projected as big winners even on their bye

By Taylor Kyles@tkyles39 Dec 7, 2021, 5:30am EST

NFL: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills

The New England Patriots are headed into their Week 14 bye with plenty of momentum on their side. After all, they celebrated a big road win in Buffalo in Week 13: now at 9-4 they sit atop not just the AFC East but the conference as a whole. Their division rivals, meanwhile, have dropped to 7-5 after the 14-10 loss.

The gap between the two clubs could grow even further this week, at least according to the oddsmakers: according to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Bills are headed into their upcoming game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as 3-point underdogs.

The Bills losing to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers would drop them to 7-6 on the year — two full games behind the Patriots and with a disadvantage in the head-to-head comparison. New England could therefore emerge from Week 14 as big winners even without actually taking the field itself.