Spread in Patriots vs Redskins Unaffected After Colt McCoy Announced as Starter for Washington

• Colt McCoy will start for the Washington Redskins in Week 5
• McCoy beat the New England Patriots with the Cleveland Browns in 2010
• The point spread and moneyline have not changed since the news broke

The Washington Redskins (0-4) have decided to go with Colt McCoy as their starting quarterback this week against the New England Patriots (4-0). While they tried to be coy about the starter, reports came out early that McCoy would be the guy and that’s proven to be true.

The betting line hasn’t been impacted by the news. The spread is still New England -15. Which side is the best bet?

New England Patriots vs Washington Redskins Odds

*Odds taken 10/04/19 

Gruden Tries To Be Coy, Fails

Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden tried to be coy about his decision this week as he apparently had three options: Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins or McCoy. However, it was reported quite early in the week that the Redskins were likely to go with McCoy and that’s proven to be accurate.

Keenum spent most of the week in a walking boot and, beyond that, was pulled last week after having a really rough start against the New York Giants. That comes on the heels of a five-turnover game against the Chicago Bears. As for Haskins, the rookie looked overmatched last week, throwing three picks.

Reports have suggested that Gruden didn’t even want to draft Haskins. Considering the team inserted Keenum as the starter from the beginning of the year and has now turned to the journeyman McCoy instead of Haskins, it seems like those reports may be true, too.

McCoy Beat The Patriots In 2010

If you listened to Bill Belichick talk about the 0-4 Washington Redskins this week, you might come away thinking that they’re 4-0 with three great options at quarterback. When asked about McCoy, Belichick brought up the fact that he beat the Patriots in 2010 when he was starting for the Cleveland Browns.

Bill Belichick says the Patriots are focused on being ready for all 3 Redskins quarterbacks. He adds ‘they all look pretty good’

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 1, 2019

Line Unaffected By McCoy News

In many cases, a change in quarterback would impact the betting line, but not in this case. The Patriots vs Redskins odds haven’t budged. The Redskins really don’t have any good options and they’re up against a really tough opponent. Keenum was bad, Haskins was awful, and what can we really expect from McCoy given the lack of talent around him?

McCoy played in three games last season and completed 63% of his passes with three touchdowns and three picks. For his career, he has 29 touchdowns, 26 picks, and a 78.6 passer rating. There’s a reason why he’s been a career backup. He’s steady but, for the most part, he’s nothing special.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3WY2Dz09No

The Redskins supporting cast is a mess. Their offensive line is in shambles and is missing its best player, left tackle Trent Williams. The running game has been ineffective and the receiving corps is down tight ends Vernon Davis and Jordan Reed.

McCoy is going up against an elite defense and he’s been given a bad hand. On top of that, the defense hasn’t offered much resistance this season and the team – as a whole – is in the process of quitting on head coach Jay Gruden. This isn’t exactly an ideal situation for a career-backup to step into.

What’s The Best Bet?

The Patriots are coming off an ugly offensive performance in Buffalo and they should get right here. Washington has just five sacks on the year – the second-fewest in the NFL – and if they’re not going to get to Brady, this game could get out of hand early.

While much of the focus is on the Redskins offense and what it may or may not do, the Patriots offense is likely to put the Washington D into uncomfortable positions. It won’t be pretty, but the Patriots will hold the Redskins to 10 points or fewer and find their way to a relatively easy cover.