NFL Monday Night Football Betting
Looking to regain their footing as one of the top teams in the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football to close out Week 2 of the NFL season. Just two years ago the Eagles went 14-3 during the regular year and reached the Super Bowl losing to Kansas City. Last season they looked like the best team in the conference winning 10 of their first 11 games before an inexplicable collapse. They lost five of their last six regular season games and tiptoed through a first round playoff loss to Tampa Bay putting coach Nick Sirianni in the crosshairs.
With the addition of Saquon Barkley boosting the offense, the Eagles beat Green Bay in Week 1, 34-29, and they go for their fifth win in the last six games with Atlanta. You can’t overreact after one game, but the Falcons didn’t look good in their season-opening loss to Pittsburgh. They paid Kirk Cousins a lot of money to fix what’s been a problem position since Matt Ryan departed and he tripped over himself looking like Desmond Ridder in the loss. The Falcons made moves that many felt made them a contender in the NFC. That didn’t happen in Week 1.
NFL Week 2 Monday Night Football Betting Odds
Atlanta Falcons +6.5
Philadelphia Eagles -6.5
Total: 47
Money Line: Falcons +237, Eagles -290
The Falcons spent a good sum of money to bring in Cousins as an offensive savior. They also added Justin Simmons and Matthew Judon to improve their defense. The signings were lauded as a positive step to get Atlanta its first winning season and playoff berth since 2017. And to lead the charge the team turned to its former coach Raheem Morris. The team sparked a lot of interest with the moves and that quickly subsided with a disappointing loss on opening day.
Not playing during the preseason as he continued his comeback from an injury that cost him several games in his last year with Minnesota, Cousins looked rusty in his debut and the offense sputtered. Cousins was 16 of 26 for 155 yards with two interceptions. With all their weapons on offense the Falcons managed just 226 yards and converted 2 of 9 third downs. Three turnovers thwarted drives spoiling a strong effort from the revamped defense.
It had been almost a year since Cousins last played so it wasn’t a total surprise the offense struggled. They will get better as Cousins works himself into the scheme. The passing game should be formidable with three players that caught more than 50 passes a season ago. Some have Bijan Robinson pegged as the NFL offensive player of the year after he amassed nearly 1,500 yards from scrimmage in 2023. Those numbers were expected to increase with Cousins at the helm.
While the offense faltered in Week 1 Atlanta’s defense was stout holding the Steelers to just 4.1 yards per play without a touchdown. They will face a different group in the Eagles, who got a strong game from Barkley in his debut. The former first round pick of the Giants rushed for 109 yards and totaled three touchdowns against the Packers. Jalen Hurts was also good completing 20 of 34 for 278 yards and two touchdowns.
Over their last seven games of the 2023 season the Eagles averaged fewer than 19 points so the outburst against Green Bay was encouraging. Getting a payout in that game was also good news for Philly backers after the Eagles closed the previous season going 0-7 against the NFL betting line. They need some work defensively, though. After finishing 30th in yards per game allowed last season, the Eagles conceded 414 yards to the Packers.
Philly is 3-0 SU and ATS in its last three home contests against the Falcons and the teams have cashed the UNDER in each of the previous six meetings.
Monday Night Football Betting Schedule
Week 1 of the 2024 Monday Night Football season begins with a mega market matchup of the New York Jets at the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers are coming off their second NFC championship in five years, while the Jets are seeking their first playoff appearance since 2010. New York has new uniforms, retro-styled to their 1980s look, and an old quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers was hurt in the first series of the first game of the Jets season in 2023 and will not attempt to come through for a team that has its entire future riding on him. But at age 40, there are legitimate concerns about Rodgers’ ability to stay healthy, let alone play at his former Hall of Fame level.
One QB that has plenty of future is 49ers signal caller Brock Purdy. Two years ago, Purdy was “Mr. Irrelevant” as the last player taken in the NFL Draft. Now, Purdy is the 49er starter and a proven winner who took San Francisco to an overtime lead in the Super Bowl before the defense failed to hold the Chiefs scoring the winning TD.
Week 3 offers an interesting Monday Night matchup when the Buffalo Bills host the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2022, Trevor Lawrence and first-year head coach Doug Pederson scored a playoff win and were pronounced the team of the future in the AFC South. But the Jaguars were reading their press clippings too much in 2023 and took a step back, allowing CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans to sneak through the back door to take the division title. Thus, Jacksonville is on a redemption tour for 2024.
The Buffalo Bills were said to have had their Super Bowl window close after their 2022 divisional-round playoff loss to the visiting Cincinnati Bengals. But Buffalo rallied to rip the AFC East Division title away from the New York Jets last year and win a playoff game. Thus, the season was a great reminder that QB Josh Allen and the Bills are not to be written off, at least until someone else proves they are better in the AFC East.
Week 14 brings a potential Super Bowl matchup on Monday Night Football when the Dallas Cowboys host the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati could not recover from the loss of Joe Burrow to injury during the stretch drive toward the 2023 NFL Playoffs. But Burrow is back, and so is optimism for an improved Bengals team.
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