Flash back to last January. Tom Brady was looking old and Rob Gronkowski was one year into his retirement from professional football.
Now, we are less than two months away from the start of the 2020 regular season. Brady is the new starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Gronkowski has come out of retirement to join him.
Despite rumors that their reunion was a plot conceived by the two of them, CBS Boston is reporting that the duo rejoining and playing together in a new town was simply a happy accident.
Not only are they featured favorably in next year’s Super Bowl betting odds, but they are also predicted to post significant statistical totals over the course of the 2020 season.
Bovada Sportsbook has posted numerous betting lines for the upcoming NFL season, including game lines for each week, who the eventual MVP will be, as well as futures bets for league MVP and Rookie of the Year for offense and defense.
They’ve also provided a large number of prop bets that include statistical indicators for significant players around the league.
Naturally, Tom Brady is one of those players that has inspired betting lines, as his G.O.A.T. status and team change are likely to draw a lot of attention to the Buccaneers and betting sites alike.
Tom Brady – 2020 Regular Season Passing TDs
- Over 29.5 -130
- Under 29.5 EVEN
Tom Brady – 2020 Regular Season Passing Yards
- Over 4225.5 -120
- Under 4225.5 -110
Tom Brady – 2020 Regular Season Interceptions
- Over 10.5 +110
- Under 10.5 -145
Using these prop betting lines as a guide, a reasonable stat line for Tom Brady in 2020 would look like the following.
- 2020 Tom Brady Passing Stats: 4,250 Yards, 32 Touchdowns, 9 Interceptions
Brady looked like his usual self at the beginning of the 2019 season, but during the last few games leading up to the playoffs, his performance suffered immensely.
A major factor of these seemingly elevated 2020 statistical projections is the fact that he will have one of the best receiving combinations he has ever played with at his disposal with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Adding a familiar, trusty target to the mix in Gronkowski only enhances his scenario, and should have NFC South defenses struggling to keep up in 2020.
Rob Gronkowski – 2020 Regular Season Receiving TDs
- Over 5.5 -115
- Under 5.5 -115
Rob Gronkowski – 2020 Regular Season Receiving Yards
- Over 599.5 -120
- Under 599.5 -110
By using the same criteria that we applied when creating Tom Brady’s potential 2020 statistical output, a reasonable stat line assumption for Rob Gronkowski could look like what we’ve provided below.
- Rob Gronkowski 2020 Receiving Stats: 650 Yards, 6 Touchdowns
That’s not quite up to Gronk’s typical production levels, and that is reasonable considering his time away from the game and his injury history.
However, Brady’s numbers seem a little unreasonable considering his miserable late-season performance last season. Add to that a new offensive system, new players, and new coaches, and his projected stats seem unrealistic.
Father Time is also a factor, as Brady will be 43 years old when the season begins. All things considered, we’ll take the under on the yardage, but the TD and Interception totals seem achievable.
Keep in mind that these betting lines include a stipulation that the season must include 16 games in order for action to occur, as these stats are based on a 16 game schedule format. This condition is valid because COVID-19 has shortened the seasons of many professional leagues, and the NFL is not immune.
Source: CBS Boston