| If you like the Patriots to win and cover on tonight in Kansas City, you are banking on New England to play like it has generally played since, oh, 2001. But on current form, the Patriots don’t look like the Patriots. They are gaining fewer yards per play than the Jaguars. They don’t have a single second-half touchdown. They have exceeded 300 yards once in three games entering the Monday-night matchup against the Chiefs (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). Still, we’re talking a 2-1 New England team that might just be shaking off some rust while winning games. How resourceful! And look, these are the Patriots, man. They should be just fine. Well, that’s the feeling, at least, for if that weren’t the case, why would these Patriots be 3.5-point favorites on the road? In the end, if you believe in the Patriot Way and whatnot, a point spread of a little more than a field goal isn’t a big deal. The Chiefs (1-2) don’t have the Patriots’ brand name, and they are 3-8 in their 11 games of consequence. We’ve all seen some New England teams who would handle these Chiefs without much trouble at all. And if you think the Patriots will show up on Monday night, then it’s an easy game to handicap. But if you don’t, then the point spread becomes a hurdle and not just a little number to pass on the way to a been-there, done-that victory. The Line: Patriots -3.5 Total: 46 Line movement: New England opened -4 at numerous Nevada books -- and even as high as -4.5 at The Wynn -- but the spread was at -3.5 for much of last week and has been pushed down even further. The total opened as low as 45 and has been driven up. The Linemakers' lean: The Pats may be 2-1, but the combined record of their opponents is 2-7. They were woeful offensively against a Raiders team that the Jets and Texans ran roughshod over. Now, they travel to a Kansas City team that has impressed over the last two weeks and boasts one of the strongest home-field advantages in the league. We'll take the home dog on Monday. Also, our partner Warren Sharp likes UNDER any total of 45 or higher in this game. Since the total is on the rise, there's even more value in the play. Read Warren's justification for his UNDER play right here at The Linemakers on Sporting News. More for Monday night: Full betting preview | Props | 
