Where to watch Jets vs. Patriots: Live stream, spread, odds, prediction, Thursday Night Football picks

Week 3 of the NFL begins at MetLife Stadium, where the New York Jets host the New England Patriots in an AFC East showdown. This is the first of two meetings between these division rivals this season. New York ended its 15-game losing streak to the Patriots in Week 18 to conclude the 2023 season and will look to start a losing streak of its own heading into Thursday night.

Both teams are 1-1 this year. The Patriots began the year with a surprise win at Cincinnati, but then lost to the Seattle Seahawks in their home opener on Sunday. The Jets, on the other hand, have been on the road for the first two weeks of the year and opened MetLife Stadium after picking up their first win – a 24-17 victory over Tennessee – in Week 2.

New York is a six-point favorite in this matchup. As long as that holds true, this will be the first time since 2011 that they've been favored against New England. How will this matchup play out? Let's dive in.

How to watch

• Date: Thursday, September 19 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
• Location: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
• Electricity: Prime Video
• Opportunities: Jets -6 | O/U 38.5 (SportsLine consensus)

When the Patriots have the ball

New England has shown in the first few weeks that they want to be a ground-and-pound offense led by Rhamondre Stevenson. The running back is averaging 23 carries per game this season, 10 more than his previous career high of 13 carries per game in 2023. In each of the last two games, he has found the end zone and rushed for at least 80 yards.

While the Patriots prefer to run offense through Stevenson, they need to do a better job of attacking defense through the air. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett has thrown for less than 150 yards in both games this season. Hunter Henry contributed with 109 receiving yards on eight catches in the Week 2 loss to Seattle, but all other pass receivers have been relatively insignificant. Wide receivers in particular have not been a real part of New England's offense so far. Wideouts recorded just three catches for 19 yards in Week 2. The team's best receiver, DeMario Douglas, went without a catch.

Part of the lack of action the Patriots' receivers are seeing could be attributed to the team's offensive line issues. The club has struggled to keep Brissett upright this season as they have patched up their line, particularly on the left side. Chukwuma Okorafor began the year as the team's starting left tackle, but was benched for Vederian Lowe early in the opening game and has since was placed on the list of released/abandoned cadre members. Then Lowe went down with a knee injury in Week 2, meaning rookie Caedan Wallace is expected to start at left guard in this matchup. So far this season, the Patriots are allowing a 44.3% pressure rate, which is the third-worst in the NFL.

When the Jets have the ball

Of course, Aaron Rodgers is the central figure and the straw that broke the camel's back for New York's offense. He's given the Jets the best quarterback play the franchise has seen in decades, and while they've been a bit of a mixed bag the first few weeks, they may be starting to find their stride. Breece Hall will be a key piece for Rodgers, as the running back has played a major role both on the ground and in the passing attack this season. In the Week 2 win over Tennessee, Hall totaled 114 yards from scrimmage and one receiving touchdown. Since last season, he's accounted for 32.2% of the team's offense. With New England losing top linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley (torn pectoralis muscle) for the season, New York could double down on the star running back. And if Hall needs a breather, freshman Braelon Allen showed in Week 2 that he's more than capable of carrying the load. Against the Titans, he had 56 scrimmage yards and reached the end zone twice.

If Rodgers decides to drop back and look outside, Garrett Wilson will most often be his first choice. Wilson is one of the NFL's best receivers, but he has yet to hit his stride in the spring of 2024. He had 57 yards in Week 1 and 60 in Week 2. Although he could face former first-round corner Christian Gonzalez in this game against the Patriots, New England allowed both DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba to total 110 yards in receiving on Sunday.

Key duel Patriots vs. Jets

The Patriots' strength is arguably their ability to pressure the quarterback, led by Keion White, a second-year defensive lineman who has four sacks this season. While unseating Rodgers would go a long way in New England's quest to pull off an upset, they may not have a chance to do so. The Jets are allowing a 20.3% pressure rate this season, which is the best in the NFL. That's in part because Rodgers gets the ball out in 2.4 seconds, the fastest in the NFL through two weeks. If that continues and the Jets offense can move quickly down the field to build a lead, the Patriots could find themselves behind in short order.

forecast

New England's issues on offense, most notably an ineffective passing attack and declining offensive line health, are enough to make them forget about at this point. That's not even mentioning the loss of off-ball linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley on defense. The Jets offense has the ability to jump out to an early lead in this game, and the way the Patriots are currently lined up, it's hard to imagine them getting back into the game.

Expected result: Seattle Seahawks 27, Seattle Seahawks 17
The choice: Jets -6

SportsLine's Emory Hunt knows the game from a player's perspective and has a good feel for the Patriots. He is 18-5 (+1244) on his last 23 NFL picks in games involving New England. Anyone who has followed him is way ahead. Visit SportsLine to see which way he's trending Thursday night.