Decision 2020 in New England is drawing significant interest only hours into the Patriots’ offseason, but oddmakers expect Tom Brady to stick around for another season.
Brady, who will become a free agent for the first time in March, vowed to explore all options on the open market and gave strong indications retirement was not his preferred play for next season. Head coach Bill Belichick said Sunday the Patriots weren’t prepared to discuss the future, including Brady, just 12 hours after their season-ending playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans.
“While the big story right now seems to be Brady playing elsewhere, our general consensus is that Rome will not burn just yet,” PointsBet USA’s trading team told Field Level Media on Monday. “We think he stays put in New England and takes another crack at it alongside Belichick.”
PointsBet and other New Jersey operators are not permitted to set futures odds on destination markets.
PlaySugarHouse.com and BetRivers.com also cannot offer futures on where Brady’s next snap will be taken due to regulatory approvals for this class of bets. If approved, they would open with Brady at +140 to play next season for another team and +700 to retire. Brady playing 2020 for the Patriots would be -180.
When ESPN’s Adam Schefter opined in October that New England might be the “least likely” option for Brady in 2020, initial lines favored the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints. Neither of those playoff teams are on the board currently as a potential home for Brady.
Westgate Sportsbook vice president of risk Ed Salmons said in an interview with the Las Vegas Journal he would make Brady -500 to be back with the Patriots or retire.
But offshore books are setting odds that include qualifiers such as “if he leaves New England.”
Odds Shark lists the Cleveland Browns as the favorite at +550 odds to sign Brady. Cleveland is hunting for its fourth coach since 2018 but drafted Baker Mayfield No. 1 overall in ’18.
Next are the Carolina Panthers (+600), who are hiring a new head coach and have a decision to make on injured quarterback Cam Newton, and the Las Vegas Raiders (+600). The Denver Broncos are +1200 ahead of the Miami Dolphins (+1400).
