Week 9: Monday Night Football

You live and die by half points.  Yesterday, I died by one.  The Titans were a half point away from making yesterday a little better.  But hey, check out that Colts game!  Tom Savage didn’t look good early on this season and he didn’t look any better yesterday.  Two shocks yesterday was how exploited the Broncos defense was and that the Jaguars played so well without Leonard Fournette.  Tough one tonight, lets look at it:

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers, 8:30p (Packers +2, O/U: 42.5)

Detroit comes into this game with one of the worst yards per play in the league and the Packers have to try and rekindle their offense in the wake of Aaron Rodger’s injury.  Brett Hundley had 2 weeks to better understand the offense and get into rhythm with the first team offense.  The Lions have had their usual passing game but they haven’t had a 100 yard rusher since Reggie Bush was in town in 2013 and have only one once in Green Bay since 1992 and it came at the hands of Matthew Stafford in 2013.  Aaron Jones has been a surprise diamond in the rough find for Green Bay, who has been struggling to find consistency in the backfield for years.  I still like Green Bay getting +2 at home against an offense that can’t put the ball in the endzone inside the opponents redzone.  This game either puts me at 50% or 58% so it’s important that I dig down deep on this one.  Take the Packers to cover in the over, Packers 24-21.

 

Week 2: Monday Night Football

Detroit Lions @ New York Giants, 8:15p (Giants -3, O/U: 42)

The big question rolling into tonight was OBJ.  Is he making his first start of the season or is he out another week?  As of 7pm as I write this post, he’s expected to play.  You would think that the line or the O/U would move a bit and it held steadfast.  Some lines moved half a point but most stayed at -3.  That’s telling me one of two things, either OBJ isn’t going to change the outcome of this game or they already figured he’d be back (since he was a game-time decision last week and practiced more during the week) and he turns the Giants from underdogs to just barely home favorites against the Lions.

There isn’t much to say about the Giants play last week that makes me feel good about them, even with OBJ in the lineup.  They didn’t have a number 1 receiver and couldn’t get the running game going but Eli Manning did still complete 76% of his passes.  The only thing going for them is their defense.

The lions had all they needed through the air last week but the running game hasn’t been developed yet even with multiple young backs.  Abdullah and Washington will carry the team where Riddick will be used more in the slot and swing passes plays they run.  The Lions won’t need a running game given the Giants front and how good they are.

These two teams met last year, it wasn’t a pretty game to watch.  Both teams had barely crossed 300 total yards of offense and that’ll be the case again tonight as the lineups for these two haven’t changed much at all (yes, even with old Brandon Marshall).  Take the Giants to win but the Lions to cover the spread in a close one in the under, Giants 21-20.

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