NFL: Monday Night Football Betting
The defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints are back in primetime, facing the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football in Week 2.
The Saints are no strangers to the spotlight, opening the 2010 season with a lackluster 14-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings on a Thursday night in Week 1. New Orleans barely covered the 4.5-point spread in that matchup and has been tagged as a 5.5-point road favorite for Monday.
The Saints’ high-powered offense sputtered against the Vikings, getting just two touchdowns out of 311 total yards. Quarterback Drew Brees was 27-for-36 for 237 yards passing and a touchdown – an off-day by Brees’ standards.
Brees has been working hard in film study this week, breaking down the Niners' 3-4 defensive formation. The last time he faced San Francisco he totaled 363 yards through the air and connected for three touchdowns in Week 4 of the 2008 season. However, that was before 49ers head coach Mike Singletary was calling the shots on defense.
Singletary, a linebackers coach with San Francisco during the teams’ last meeting, transformed the Niners' defense into one of the best stop units in football in his short stint as head coach. But, with a mountain of expectations heading into this year, San Francisco’s defense crumbled in Week 1, taking a 31-6 beating from the Seattle Seahawks as a 3-point road favorite.
That poor performance has rattled the always brash Singletary, who isn’t making friends with his recent rants. He blasted a player for being a “rat” after said player went to the media about troubles with the team. Then, as an encore, Singletary called out Brees and the Saints, claiming “We will not try to stop Drew Brees. We will stop Drew Brees. Next question.”
Perhaps Singletary should focus more on his offensive troubles than grabbing headlines. The Niners’ attack was awful in Week 1, punctuated by two interceptions from quarterback Alex Smith. Running back Frank Gore was locked down for 38 yards on 17 carries, and San Francisco went just 1-for-15 on third down.
That feeble offense could give a play on the UNDER 43.5 points some extra value. With the Saints involved, oddsmakers must respect their scoring prowess and post a big number. The total will get bigger with the public push on the OVER, which is common for Monday Night Football matchups. UNDER bettors should wait until the minutes before kickoff to grab the largest total available.
Pick: Saints -5.5, UNDER 43.5