Story byEd ScimiaFri, December 26, 2025 at 11:44 PM UTC·3 min readThe New England Patriots will try to move closer to clinching an AFC East title when they visit the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon. New York isn’t staying close to anyone these days, which is why I’m taking New England to cover a big spread in my Patriots vs. Jets predictions. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementKeep reading to get a deeper look at this matchup in my free NFL picks for Sunday, December 28. Patriots vs Jets predictionPatriots vs Jets Best bet: Patriots -13.5 (-110 at FanDuel)Once you get into double-digit spreads in the NFL, you have to be very careful when picking favorites, as even the worst teams tend to keep some of their games close in this league. But that hasn’t been the case for the New York Jets down the stretch, as this team has lost each of its last three games by at least 23 points. New York is having serious trouble on both sides of the ball, struggling on offense and defense even against other weak teams. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOutside of a handful of good moments, Brady Cook has shown nothing in his first three games at quarterback, while opponents have scored 37.0 ppg against the Jets over the past three weeks. On Sunday, all those problems will show themselves again. Only this time, the Jets will be playing one of the best teams in football, and the New England Patriots still has a lot to play for. Drake Maye has been outstanding, the Patriots defense has been strong against all but the best offensive units, and nobody will be resting in this one with the division title and even the top seed in the AFC still in play. The Jets aren’t going to get much of a boost at home, and even if they were, I’m not sure I’d expect them to keep this game within two scores.
