In most years, the New England Patriots are picking up steam as they head to December. And when they get to that month, they’ve crafted strong finishes heading toward the playoffs.
However, another strong December likely won’t help the Patriots this season.
With one of the most important months of the NFL season coming up, BetMassachusetts.com utilized StatMuse.com to find the records of every NFL team in December since 2013 to find the best to worst teams. Note that all teams didn’t participate in the same amount of games, so ranking is based on win percentage. When it comes to the Patriots this season, however, past performance is no guarantee that Massachusetts sportsbooks will favor them this season.
December Records Since 2013
As the Patriots playoff odds are no longer available at most sportsbooks, don't expect the team to put forth another strong December.
Strong Finishes Led to Super Bowls
The Patriots rank No. 8 with a 25-18 record for a .581 winning percentage since 2013. The time frame includes four Super Bowl trips and three Super Bowl victories after the 2014, 2016 and 2018 seasons.
The top three December teams have been the Green Bay Packers, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys. Oddly enough, only the Chiefs among those teams have turned that hot December play into Super Bowl victories with two. The Packers had four trips to the NFC Championship Game, but lost all four. The Cowboys only have three playoff wins in five playoff trips in that time frame.
So beware when thinking about your wagers on Massachusetts betting apps: December success doesn’t always lead to playoff success.
For the Patriots, any amount of December success this year will be a building block for 2024. And that’s if they want to focus on wins. At 2-8, New England has the worst record in the AFC and only the 2-9 Arizona Cardinals and 1-9 Carolina Panthers are worse in terms of winning percentage. The worst team in the NFL this season likely will be first in line to draft Southern Cal quarterback Caleb Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 in the 2024 draft.
Current Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has been benched three times this season, including in their latest loss to the Colts in Germany on Nov. 12. They’ve lost three in a row, and the remaining schedule will be difficult after facing the 3-8 New York Giants this week.
New England is a 3-point favorite at home against the Giants, according to ESPN BET Massachusetts as it heads into a December schedule with the Chargers (4-6), Steelers (6-4), Chiefs (7-3), Broncos (5-5) and Bills (6-5).
