Monday Night Football Betting
As has been the case for the last few years, Week 1 of the NFL season concludes with a double-header on Monday night. The 2015 slate features a quartet of NFC teams, all of whom enter the season having undergone changes since 2014 ended. In the first matchup, Chip Kelly’s overhauled Eagles will travel to Atlanta to face first-year head coach Dan Quinn’s Falcons. In the nightcap, Adrian Peterson makes his return to the Vikings backfield on the road in San Francisco against a 49ers team that is barely recognizable to the one that advanced to three straight NFC championships from 2011-2013. Here’s a look at the Monday night games.
Philadelphia at Atlanta +3 – Chip Kelly wrestled front office control away from deposed GM Howie Roseman presumably so he could construct the Eagles roster in his image. Gone are Nick Foles, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, Evan Mathis, and Trent Cole, to name just a few. In their stead are Sam Bradford, DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Byron Maxwell, and Kiko Alonso. Whether or not these changes are for the better remains to be seen, but one thing is obvious: Kelly finally has the kinds of players to fit his scheme on both sides of the ball.
The Falcons still boast the deadly receiving duo of Julio Jones and Roddy White, and if they are going to keep pace with the up-tempo Eagles, Matt Ryan must deliver it to them early and often. The Philly secondary was atrocious in 2014 and until new arrivals like Maxwell prove they will be smarter and more disciplined, they remain a weakness. With an over/under of 55.5, the overmatched Atlanta defense will have to force turnovers to come out on top.
Eagles were 5-3 ATS on the road in 2014, and are 6-3-1 ATS in the last ten meetings in the series. Falcons went 4-4 ATS at home a season ago. A shootout seems unavoidable.
Bet Philadelphia -3, Bet the Over
Minnesota at San Francisco +1.5 – The Vikings bandwagon has been jampacked for months. Adding Adrian Peterson to an offense that showed promise with Teddy Bridgewater at the helm in 2014 has fans and pundits brimming with optimism. If the young improving defense can generate a consistent pass rush and limit mental mistakes, the Purple and Gold could push for a playoff spot. However, if they are going to make the jump, beating an undermanned Niners team on the road is a necessity.
San Francisco gets linebacker NaVorro Bowman back, but lost pretty much everyone else during the offseason. Patrick Willis, Chris Borland, Aldon Smith, Justin Smith, Frank Gore, the list of departures goes on and on. If the defense and running game can’t control the tempo, then it’s up to an inaccurate Colin Kaepernick and a subpar set of receivers to move the chains. Needless to say, that is a less than ideal scenario. Carlos Hyde better be ready to for a heavy workload.
The Vikings went 5-3 ATS in 2014, and are 5-4 ATS in the last nine meetings. The 49ers were a woeful 1-7 ATS at home last season, and 5-11 ATS overall. Peterson should make all the difference in what will likely be an ugly game.
Bet Minnesota -1.5
