NFL Picks Week 10: New England Patriots vs. New York Jets, Betting Preview

The New England Patriots (5-3) and New York Jets (5-3) will close out Sunday's NFL schedule in prime time inside MetLife Stadium, with the two teams knotted in a three-way tie atop the AFC East division with the Buffalo Bills.

Bettors will find a very interesting odds board this weekend when determining their NFL picks, as 11-of-14 Sunday games have a betting line of four points or less.

New York has settled in as two-point home favorites over New England, while the total stands at 47.

Let's take a closer look at this important affair from a betting perspective.

Tom Brady as an Underdog

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady doesn't get points very often, posting a 26-11-1 against-the-spread (ATS) mark as an underdog during his career.

That number gets even more impressive when he's coming off a loss, covering the number in 10 of 11 opportunities.

Walking up to the betting window is pretty easy when this high-profile signal-caller isn't expected to win.

Mark Sanchez's Recent Play

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez has led his team to three consecutive victories, scoring 24 points or more in each contest.

His good play actually started in the team's 30-21 loss to the New England Patriots as 7.5-point road underdogs on Oct. 9, registering a 94.7 passer rating in the last four games.

Over that particular span, the former USC Trojans signal-caller has thrown for 770 yards and seven touchdowns versus just two interceptions.

New England Patriots off a Loss

Not many expected a second straight New England Patriots loss last week, dropping a 24-20 decision to the New York Giants as nine-point home favorites.

The franchise comes in off back-to-back defeats for just the third time since the start of the 2003 campaign.

Bettors will love playing the Patriots as an underdog when the team is 26-3 during the regular season after tasting defeat.

New England is also 5-1 ATS as an underdog the past two-plus years.

New York Jets Defense

Few NFL stop units are playing better than the New York Jets, ranking eighth in both total yards and points allowed.

Cornerback Darrelle Revis leads a playmaking secondary, causing 19 turnovers, which includes 13 interceptions.

Entering Sunday's prime-time affair, New York is limiting opposing signal-callers to a 59.4 passer rating, tops in the league.

It's important to note that New England racked up 446 total yards in the first meeting, which was the third straight time that it tallied over 370-plus yards against New York's defense.

Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez at Home in This Rivalry

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan should be confident in trying to gain revenge against New England Patriots front man Bill Belichick, as his third-year signal-caller has played great in front of the home fans in this AFC East rivalry.

Mark Sanchez has won both home games when playing against the Patriots, registering an impressive 114.5 passer rating in the process.

New York walked away with a 28-14 victory in last year's meeting at MetLife Stadium as three-point home underdogs.

Sanchez finished 21-of-30 passing for 220 yards and three touchdowns.

Ryan is 8-3 ATS when playing with revenge against a division rival.

Pick

From a sports handicapping standpoint, the New England Patriots are not accustomed to the underdog role in this series, being favored in at least the last 10 meetings.

New York's Mark Sanchez will dress up as a favorite against New England's Tom Brady for the first time in his career.

Bettors should love that situation when taking the points inside the sports book Sunday night.

Pick:  New England Patriots (+2)