[dawade]

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Obviously, there are as many guaranteed wins, ( barring ties) as games left between non-NE AFC east teams, but seriously, will the rest of the division win as many games as NE?( this seems a bit closer now than 2 weeks ago, when Buffalo was sucking too.)

P.S. As of now, NE holds an 8-4 lead.

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As quoted from Friday's Bill Simmons mailbag on ESPN.com...

"Q: A question for you and Cousin Sal for the next podcast: What would be the spread for "Patriots' regular-season total wins" vs. "rest of the AFC East's regular-season total wins"? If gambling were legal, I'd take the Patriots minus-2.5.
--Sean, New York

SG: I think you'd have to make that line higher. Right now, the rest of the AFC East is a combined 3-17 with 28 games to go; they play each other four more times (two Bills-Jets games, one Jets-Dolphins game, one Bills-Jets game), so their lowest possible win total can be seven. I don't see the Bills and Jets finishing with more than five wins, and I can't imagine any scenario in which the Dolphins win more than three games. If anything, I could see the three of them combining for something in the 10-11 range. So you'd have to open the line at "Pats by 3.5," and there's a good chance it would get wagered up to "Pats by four" within a few hours. I want to come back in my next life as a bookie."