On the heels of a Week 2 Sunday loaded with touchdowns (and what seemed like an even great number of injuries), we head into Monday Night Football where the Las Vegas Raiders host the New Orleans Saints in a grand opening of their new home field at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada. With both the Raiders and Saints entering this affair boasting 1-0 records to start their seasons, following high-scoring victories in Week 1, this matchup hopes to be every bit as explosive in christening the new home of Raider Nation.
To kick off our sports wagering endeavors for the Week 2 Monday Night action, we’ll look over what investments for Monday Night Football that the sportsbooks have to offer using the OddsShopper tool and review some matchup comparisons before considering the best bets for the taking.
* NFL Odds as of writing. Click HERE for up to date odds using the OddsShopper tool.
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NFL Odds Shopping + NFL Picks: MNF Raiders vs. Saints
Moneyline Best Values
Regardless of which side you end up on for any of the odds available discussed here, you’ll want to get the most bang for your buck by finding the best line value possible (this is one of the beauties of using OddsShopper).
If you’re not feeling the gumption in wagering on the point spread, the moneyline to-win offered for both teams fluctuates on a moderate scale across the range of books listed on OddsShopper.
You’ll notice that while not a drastic shift in the lines between books, if you’re on the Raiders for Monday night then Sugar House, BetRivers, and DraftKings Sportsbook are the best odds at +195 (at the time writing this). The differential is even tamer for the Saints moneylines offered, with BetMGM providing the best at -228.
Total: Over 48 Points (-112, Sugar House & BetRivers)
This NFC/AFC duel features two teams who can produce points when healthy, and with each team putting up exactly 34 points in Week 1, the idea of a high-scoring outcome isn’t far from reach.
The first element worth noting is the evident key injuries in Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (Out), Raiders offensive tackle Trent Brown and rookie wide receiver Henry Ruggs (Questionable).
While Derek Carr will be missing a stud in his pass protection in Brown’s absence, the added factor of concern lies with the injuries to second-string offensive tackle Sam Young (Doubtful) and left guard John Simpson (Questionable). Brandon Parker and Denzelle Good will get the start as the Raiders will have to make do with a patchwork offensive line to hold long enough for Carr to operate in the passing game, along with a lack of receiver talent available for him to work with.
Ruggs being available will lend a sizable boost, though Nelson Agholor proved that he’s fitting into the offense quite well already. Agholor scored a 23-yard touchdown in his one reception against the Panthers in Week 1 and would need to bring more of that production should Ruggs sit out.
Tight end Darren Waller should also be leaned upon in his favorable matchup with Saints linebackers such as Alex Anzalone. The Raiders scoring output in Week 1 came in most part on behalf of Josh Jacobs, who should see a heavy workload following his three rushing touchdowns and 93 yards on 25 carries just over a week ago.
The Saints have a healthy offensive line to handily lend quarterback Drew Brees the time he needs to dissect the Raiders defense despite missing his top star receiver. Newcomer Emmanuel Sanders stepped up to the plate against the Buccaneers in Week 1, scoring his first touchdown since joining the team. Jared Cook led the team in receptions, tied with Alvin Kamara, with five grabs for 80 yards (which Cook has a standout matchup with Cory Littleton this week).
As I expect to see a whole lot of the one-two running game with Kamara and Latavius Murray, I anticipate Brees to get the Kamara/Sanders/Cook core to start rolling, while getting wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith involved as well. As we’ve seen for some time now, this New Orleans offense has a very high ceiling for scoring potential, and Brees has had an outstanding history on Monday Night Football.
On the other hand, both teams surrendered a combined 53 points in Week 1, with each giving up touchdowns to both the running and passing games. With all things considered when it comes to potential scoring catalysts on either team, I believe the over of 48 points is achievable given the circumstances despite the betting line trending downward.
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Point Spread: Saints -5.5 (-107, Sugar House and BetRivers)
As much as I would assume the Raiders will keep this close in defending their home opener on Monday Night Football, the capability of Sean Payton’s offensive mind, along with giving Brees, Kamara and company a healthy offensive line to operate behind, make this difficult to argue against, even without Thomas. Teddy Bridgewater and the Panthers threw for nearly 300 yards and a touchdown on this Raiders secondary in Week 1 (and no interceptions), in addition to allowing 129 yards and two touchdowns to the running game (although it was against Christian McCaffrey).
As a reminder, the Saints’ 9-point victory over the Buccaneers was a closer score than how the game itself transpired, with the Bucs never leading after their first touchdown to start the game and New Orleans leading 24-7 at one point in the third quarter. Tampa Bay got to 23 points on their final touchdown with just over two minutes remaining, when the game was already essentially out of reach.
New Orleans should be able to pressure Carr enough to force turnovers given the injuries plaguing the Las Vegas offensive line. Plus, 5.5 points feels like simply too meager of a spread when considering the firepower of this Saints offense, regardless of Thomas’ absence.
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