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Perhaps it has finally come. Perhaps the New England Patriots' status as one of the premier teams in the NFL has come to an end. For a decade, New England has defied the parity laws of the NFL, which bring every successful team down. For 11 straight years, the Patriots have won 10 or more games, a truly astounding stat. But there they were, getting absolutely destroyed 41-14 in front of the country on "Monday Night Football" last week by the mediocre Kansas City Chiefs, a week after they struggled to beat a borderline professional team in the Oakland Raiders. You know where that lands you? Home underdog status -- a completely unfamiliar spot for the Patriots. According to ESPN Chalk colleague Evan Abrams, it is the first time since 2003 that the Patriots have been an underdog at home when the opposing quarterback was not Peyton Manning. While the Cincinnati Bengals are off to an impressive 3-0 start, let's not get overly carried away. Two of the wins were at home, and their one road win was against the Ravens, who were in complete turmoil to start the year. This is a franchise that has not won a playoff game since 1990. To be favored in New England seems like an overreaction to the Patriots' awful performance a week ago. With that Monday night debacle fresh in its mind, the public is backing the Bengals at a 66 percent clip according to ESPN PickCenter. Let's go to Las Vegas and get some insight and picks from our staple of experts.
Matchup: Cincinnati Bengals at New England PatriotsSpread: Bengals -1
Total: Opened 47.5, now 46
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