Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Washington Commanders vs New England Patriots Preview, Prediction, and Betting Odds for NFL Preseason Week 1

Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders get their preseason underway with a matchup against the New England Patriots. Being just a preseason match, there is not much at stake, and both teams will look to give some much-needed reps to the backups and their rookies.

Both teams have gotten a feel for one another after the joint practice sessions that have taken place earlier in the week. Keeping aside the infamous scrum that left Pats’ head coach Mike Vrabel with a bloody cheek, New England has been the team to dominate on both sides of the ball, as per reports.

Dan Quinn’s team will be without key starters, most notably quarterback Jayden Daniels, who will not play, and Terry McLaurin, whose contract issues are still up in the air. As for the Patriots, second-year signal caller Drake Maye is expected to get some time under center.

GAME DAY.

Event info: https://t.co/9IE3sTNl7J pic.twitter.com/7BPNJhgoOU
— Gillette Stadium (@GilletteStadium) August 8, 2025

Washington Commanders vs New England Patriots NFL Preseason Week 1 Prediction

Preseason games are to be taken with a pinch of salt, as most teams don’t let their starters in on the action as much, especially in the first couple of games. Thus, it is no surprise that many coaches have horrible records when it comes to the preseason.

Patriots’ head coach Vrabel is just 8-9 in the preseason, while Dan Quinn is even worse, winning just 7 of his 24 games this time of the year. Vrabel is building a defensive-minded and tough team, so expect them to come out swinging.

Handled business 😤 pic.twitter.com/XGhj4p0we4
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 7, 2025

Additionally, with Jayden Daniels not playing and Drake Maye featuring in the game, along with New England’s superior performances in the joint practice, the Patriots hold the edge in this one.

Match Prediction: Patriots win 23-17

Washington Commanders vs New England Patriots NFL Preseason Week 1 Betting Odds

As per the odds on BetMGM, the New England Patriots are the heavy favorites to win the match. The money line for this match shows the Patriots have a nearly 74% chance of winning. (Sourced from BetMGM).

Keep building@CarterMachinery | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/K1zjtPiBFv
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) August 7, 2025

Here are some of the best picks for the week 1 preseason game between the Lions and the Falcons.

Bet	New England Patriots	Washington Commanders
Moneyline – Including Overtime	7/20	11/5

The over-under for total points as per BerMGM is as follows:

Total Points – Over 34.5: 10/11
Total Points – Under 34.5: 22/25

Patriots Total Points – Over 20.5: Evens
Patriots Total Points – Under 20.5: 10/13

Commanders Total Points – Over 13.5: 10/11
Commanders Total Points – Under 13.5: 22/25

Point Spread Commanders +6.5: 11/5
Point Spread Patriots -6.5: 7/20

(According to BetMGM: BetMGM offers exclusive promo codes, bonus deals, and accurate odds for users upon signing up. Use BetMGM to ace your betting game in all sports!)

Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

2025 NFL Preseason Week 1

New England Patriots

NFL

Washington Commanders

Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!