2015 Record: 12-4

2016 Las Vegas Season Win Total: 10.5

2016 Season Win Total Pick: 'Over'

No Brady? No problem.

Does anyone doubt that the Patriots, despite Tom Brady's four-game suspension to start the season, are still the class of the AFC East, the division which they have dominated for nearly 20 years? You shouldn't doubt it. Because if you give Bill Belichick a solid defense, an offense stacked with skill position talent and experience, three of four home games to start the season, and a legit motivational tool to get his team to play with a chip on its shoulder then I think you have a winning mix.

New England has won the AFC East seven straight seasons and 12 of the past 13 years. The Patriots have made it to the AFC Championship game a stunning five straight seasons and 10 times since 2001. They are one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. And I don't think that Brady's suspension is going to be enough to derail this freight train.

The Patriots still possess one of the most talented rosters in football. Their defense ranked in the Top 10 in scoring and total yards last year and is good enough to hold the fort until Brady returns. The offensive skill players enter the season as healthy as they have been in several years. And once Brady returns this team will likely be favored in at least 10 of their remaining 12 games.

New England would have to lose six games - something they haven't done since 2009 - to lose against this season win total. I don't see it happening. This team is capable of earning a split in its four Brady-less games. But even if they only start 1-3 I still think that Brady, Belichick and Co. will be so motivated that they will simply barnstorm the rest of the league.

I have the Patriots winning 11 or 12 games. I believe they will start 2-2. I believe they will lose at Pittsburgh. Beyond that, they get three of their four toughest opponents (Cincinnati, Seattle, and Baltimore) in Foxboro. They could lose two of those games and take an upset in their division (maybe their trip to New York) and still beat this total, making this one of the easiest bets on the board.

Patriots Regular Season Schedule (All times Eastern)

Robert Ferringo is one of the top football handicappers in the country and tallied an unrivaled $20,800 in football profit between 2011 and 2015, including his amazing 2013 NFL season in which he hit 62.1 percent (95-58). Robert has produced 14 of 22 winning football months and an amazing 37 of 57 winning football months over the past decade. Robert has hit nearly 60 percent winners over his last 750 totals picks and is the most prolific big play football handicapper in the nation, going 101-63 (62%) on all football plays rated 5.0 or higher since 2010. Also, Robert's proprietary KING College Football Betting System has posted three of four winning seasons and is 122-92 over the last three years (57.0 percent).

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