New England Patriots 2017 News: Playoff Prediction, Injury Report, Super Bowl Betting Odds For Tom Brady And Company

The New England Patriots (14-2) are once again in an enviable position. Bill Belichick's squad looked particularly sharp in their regular season finale, a 35-14 road victory over the Miami Dolphins that clinched home-field advantage in the AFC, and they will enter Saturday's divisional round matchup with the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium with almost two weeks of rest.

Breaking down the AFC playoff picture presents an optimistic outlook for New England, and the Patriots should be big favorites against Houston and perhaps beyond. The Texans have an excellent defense, but Houston won just nine games in the regular season and advanced from the wild-card game by outlasting a hobbled Oakland Raiders at home. Quarterback Brock Osweiler has had his struggles this season, and the offense has often looked confused with their play calling.

While the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) and Kansas City Chiefs (12-4) should present some matchup problems in the AFC Championship, the Patriots are expected to be favorites on Jan. 22. Among the surprise teams of the season, the Chiefs won seven games by eight points or less, while the surging Steelers have already faced the Patriots this season, and lost at home, 27-16.

It's a big reason the Patriots are 1/2 favorites to advance to the Super Bowl and 8/5 favorites to win it all.

The 2016 season has been a relatively smooth ride for the Patriots compared to previous seasons. The four-game suspension to superstar quarterback Tom Brady did little to derail the team's title chances. In fact, it may have energized the veteran and allowed him to reach the postseason with less wear and tear. New England won three games without Brady and then won 11 of 12 games the rest of the way, with Brady throwing just two interceptions and finishing second in quarterback rating (112.2).

Indeed, the Patriots have looked every bit as sharp as they have in previous Super Bowl runs, winning 14 games for the first time since 2010. Josh McDaniels' offense finished the regular season fourth in yards per game (269.3) and third in points per game (27.6). The defense remained steady and effective, finishing eighth in average yards allowed (326.4), and first in points allowed (15.4).

The Patriots have done it all while missing one of their top weapons for most of the season. Rob Gronkowski, a four-time Pro Bowl tight end, essentially played in just six games, but his absence hasn't slowed New England. Sometimes it has seemed as though the Patriots haven't skipped a beat with Martellus Bennett filling in.

Despite Gronkowski out until February, the Patriots have been mostly healthy this season. In fact, they are the sixth healthiest team of the season, according to figures compiled by ManGamesLost.com.

Linebacker Jonathan Freeny (shoulder) and tight end Greg Scruggs (knee) remain out while guard Tre' Jackson (knee) and right tackle Sebastian Vollmer (shoulder) are on the physically unable to perform list. Meanwhile, wide receivers Danny Amendola (ankle) and Malcolm Mitchell (knee) both practiced last week.

What makes this Patriots squad perhaps stand out over previous seasons might be how unexpected players on both sides of the ball have had big seasons. Veteran running back LaGarrette Blount took a bigger role in 2016 after missing four games in 2015. He finished with 1,161 rushing yards, eighth best in the league. It was the first time the Patriots had a top 10 rusher since Stevan Ridley in 2012. Blount also had one of his best efforts against the Patriots' next opponent, rushing for 105 yards and two touchdowns against the Texans in Week 3 to pick up the slack with Brady out.

On defense, only free safety Devin McCourty earned a Pro Bowl spot, but the Patriots defense received a big boost from Trey Flowers. The 23-year-old defensive end barely played in 2015 but had a breakout season with seven sacks and 45 total tackles.

“This year, he came in all business and has really taken advantage of all of his opportunities," linebacker Rob Ninkovich said of Flowers.

One cause for concern for the Patriots has been their somewhat weak regular-season schedule and some uneven defensive performances. New England had just five games against teams that reached the playoffs, finishing with a 4-1 record. The Patriots allowed 24 points against the Dolphins in Week 2, they shut out the Texans in Week 3, the conceded just 16 points to the Steelers in Week 7, and ended the year by allowing only 14 points to the Dolphins. But the Pats defense also surrendered 31 points in a home loss to the Seattle Seahawks following a bye week.

It won't be a walk in the park to reach the Super Bowl, but with two games at Gillette Stadium, Brady on top of his game, and the team in good health, it seems the Patriots' top-contender status is well deserved.

Prediction: It's hard to look too far ahead, but the Patriots should at the very least roll past the Texans. After that, it can be a big challenge with either the Steelers or Chiefs expected to put up a good fight after their matchup. Both potential opponents have different ways of winning, as the Chiefs boast a stellar secondary that includes cornerback Marcus Peters and safety Eric Berry, while the Steelers have elite weapons on offense like running back Le'Veon Bell and wide out Antonio Brown. Whichever team emerges will travel to Gillette and face what is expected to be a well-prepared Patriots squad.

The bottom line is the Patriots are the favorites to win the Super Bowl for good reason. New England appears to have all the right ingredients to reach the Super Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston and come out victorious. Don't be surprised if they hoist another Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 5.