New England Patriots again projected to lead NFL in wins in 2018

Steve Gardner | USA TODAY

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A new season for the New England Patriots means yet another year with a target on their backs.

Las Vegas oddsmakers have the Super Bowl runners-up with the highest projected win total of any NFL team for the 2018 season, according to the opening numbers from the Westgate Superbook obtained by USA TODAY Sports on Sunday.

The Patriots' over/under total is 11 wins, just ahead of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers -- both of whom are projected for 10.5 wins.

However, the Patriots' regular-season superiority may not be as safe a bet as in the past. New England has won 12 or more games in each of the past eight seasons.

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Two other teams are projected for double-digit wins: the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings with 10.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Cleveland Browns -- coming off an 0-16 season -- should see some improvement. However, the Browns are tied with the Arizona Cardinals for the NFL's lowest projected win total with an over/under of 5.5.

Projected win totals for all 32 NFL teams

11 -- New England Patriots

10.5 -- Philadelphia Eagles

10.5 -- Pittsburgh Steelers

10 -- Green Bay Packers

10 -- Minnesota Vikings

9.5 -- New Orleans Saints

9.5 -- Los Angeles Rams

9 -- Atlanta Falcons

9 -- Carolina Panthers

9 -- Jacksonville Jaguars

9 -- Los Angeles Chargers

9 -- San Francisco 49ers

8.5 -- Dallas Cowboys

8.5 -- Houston Texans

8.5 -- Kansas City Chiefs

8 -- Baltimore Ravens

8 -- Detroit Lions

8 -- Oakland Raiders

8 -- Seattle Seahawks

8 -- Tennessee Titans

7 -- Cincinnati Bengals

7 -- Denver Broncos

7 -- Washington Redskins

6.5 -- Buffalo Bills

6.5 -- Indianapolis Colts

6.5 -- Chicago Bears

6.5 -- New York Giants

6.5 -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers

6 -- Miami Dolphins

6 -- New York Jets

5.5 -- Arizona Cardinals

5.5 -- Cleveland Browns

(Source: Westgate Superbook)

Follow Gardner on Twitter @SteveAGardner