The last time the Patriots were such heavy underdogs? Super Bowl XXXVI against the Rams in 2002.
The Rams were 14-point favorites in that game, and the Chiefs are 11-point favorites Monday night.
It’s been nearly two decades since a Patriots opponent has been favored as much as the Kansas City Chiefs are heading into Monday night’s clash.
The Chiefs, who were seven-point favorites before Cam Newton tested positive for COVID-19, are now 11-point favorites. The last time the Patriots were such heavy underdogs was the 2002 Super Bowl (XXXVI), against the St. Louis Rams, when the Rams were favored by 14-points.
Of course the Patriots won that game, 20-17, which started a string of a whole lot of winning from then until now. It took Tom Brady leaving the team, Newton missing the contest, and the defending Super Bowl champs to be playing at home for such a significant milestone to occur.
A loss would drop the Patriots to 2-2 and would also allow the Chiefs to stay undefeated for another week. A win would yield one of the more compelling storylines of the NFL season and strengthen New England’s chances of winning the AFC East for a 12th straight year.
Before Cam Newton’s positive test, the Patriots were 7-point underdogs vs. the Chiefs. That number now is up to 11 points. It’s the most a Patriots opponent has been favored by since the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) October 4, 2020
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