New England Patriots at New York Jets Line

First place in the AFC East is on the line when the New England Patriots (5-3) take on the New York Jets (5-3) Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

Odds makers are expecting a tight one, listing the  Jets as a two-point favorite with the total set at 47.5.

Last Sunday’s 27-11 win at division rival Buffalo was the Jets’ third straight victory.

Third-year quarterback Mark Sanchez connected on 20 of 28 passes for 230 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Five of those passes found Plaxico Burress, who led the team with 79 receiving yards.

Former University of Iowa star Shonn Greene led the way on the ground with 76 of the Jets’ 126 rushing yards.

The Patriots fell for a second straight week with a 24-20 loss at home to the New York Giants.

Tom Brady completed 28 of 49 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns but was picked off twice. Nine of his completions went to Wes Welker, who led the team with 136 receiving yards.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis led the rushing attack with 52 of New England’s 106 yards on the ground.

Not surprisingly, it’s been New York’s commitment to the run that has spurred its winning streak.

The Jets ranked in the top four in the NFL in rushing offense the last two seasons when they made trips to the AFC title game.  They rank just 25th in the league with 96.6 rushing yards per game this season, but the running game has started to pick up.

The Jets have averaged 130.7 rushing yards during their three game win streak. They are 4-0 straight up and against the spread this season when rushing for more than 100 yards.

Rushing yardage, however could be tougher to come by this week against a New England defense that ranks ninth in the NFL against the run with 102.2 yards allowed per game.

Instead of running on the ball on New England, teams have been looking to take advantage of its 32nd-ranked pass defense, which gives up 314 yards per game.

The Patriots rank dead last in the NFL in total defense with 416.2 yards allowed per contest.

New England will likely have to do a better job of taking care of the football to get back in the win column Sunday night. It is 1-2 straight up and 0-3 against the spread when committing four turnovers in a game this season.

These AFC East rivals have split the last eight meetings with the Patriots winning the most recent one 30-21 at home on Oct. 19.

The Jets won the last meeting in East Rutherford 28-14 on Sept. 19, 2010.

The home team has had the edge in this series recently, covering the spread in five of the last six meetings. It is also worth noting, however, that New England is 10-2 against the number in its last 12 road contests in this matchup.

In regard to the total, the over has been the play. These two have combined to finish over the number in four of the last five matchups with one push.

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