Monday Night Football

Chargers Will Treat On Halloween Night

2011-10-26T00:51:00.000-07:00

The San Diego Chargers head to Arrowhead Stadium on Halloween to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Monday Night matchup of week 8. Oddsmakers have the Chargers 4 point favorite. Over/under is 44 points.

Chargers Particulars
The Chargers (4-2) are lead by QB Philip Rivers. Philips, regarded as one of the elite NFL QBs, is having a pedestrian season. He has thrown for 1715 yards, 7 TDs and has a QB Rating of 82.3. However, he's thrown 9 interceptions.

The Chargers opened the season beating the Vikings 24 - 17, then lost to the Patriots 35 - 21. They won their next 3 (vs. Chiefs 20 -17, Miami 26 - 16 and Broncos 29-24) before losing to the Jets in week 7 - 27 - 21. Of the 4 SD wins, only 1 was against a .500 team - the Chiefs.

Chiefs Particulars
The Kansas City Chiefs are lead by QB Matt Cassel. His stats so far are 1106 yards passing, 8 TDs and a QB Rating of 80.7. He has thrown 7 ints.

The Chiefs started the season with some big losses. They opened the season with three losses (vs Bills 41-7, Lions 48-3 and Chargers 20-17). They then rolled off 3 straight wins (vs Vikings 22-17, Colts 28-24 and the Raiders 28-0). Their shutout of the Raiders was against an Oakland team playing without it's starting QB (without Jason Campbell). He was replaced by Kyle Boller and newly acquired Carson Palmer.

Chargers vs Chiefs Averages
The Chargers average 392 total yards on offense. That breaks down to 273 passing and 118 rushing. The Chiefs are averaging 303 total yards; 173 in the air and 129 rushing.

When it comes to defense, KC is giving up 361 yards per game, 235 passing and 125 rushing. The Chargers defense stats are better, giving up, on average, 297 total yards, 175 passing and 121 on the ground.

NFL Team Records ATS Week 8
The Chargers are 2-4 ATS, 1-2 ATS away, 2-2 ATS as the favorite and 1-0 ATS as an away favorite.
The Chiefs are 4-2 ATS, 1-1 ATS at home, 4-1 ATS as the underdog, and 1-0 ATS as a home underdog.

Prediction
Home teams of Monday Night football games tend to have the emotional edge early in the game. But in this matchup, expect Philip Rivers to throw for 300+ yards and at least 3 TDs.

Chargers 31, Chiefs 10

Monday Night Football Week 15 Matchup

2009-12-27T20:21:00.000-08:00

THE MATCHUP

Minnesota Vikings (11-3) vs Chicago Bears (5-9)

Soldier Field, Chicago Illinois

Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 8:30 pm ET

TV
ESPN 8:30 pm EST

WEATHER FORECAST
Mostly clear. Lows 11 to 20. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph.

LAST WEEK
The Vikings were beaten badly in Carolina, 26-7.
The Bears were embarrasses by the Ravens, 31-7

THE LINE
Vikings are the favorite (-7.5). Over/Under is 41

2009 TRENDS AGAINST THE SPREAD (REGULAR SEASON)
The Vikings are 8-5 ATS
The Vikings are 4-3 ATS away
The Vikings are 1-1 ATS as the underdog
The Vikings are 1-1 ATS as an away underdog
The Bears are 4-10 ATS
The Bears are 3-4 ATS at home
The Bears are 1-8 ATS as the underdog
The Bears are 1-2 ATS as a home underdog

Head-to-Head
MINNESOTA is 3-2 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 4-1 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

PREDICTION
Vikings 24 Bears 21

Even though the Bears are out of playoff contention, the rivalry between the two teams should make it one of the more exciting games in the NFL this week. They are 7-1 against the Vikings at home since 2001 and there are rumors that coach Lovey Smith's job is on the line. And QB Jay Cutler is way overdue for a great game. Despite a great effort, the Bears will fall short.

It seems that Brad Childress had an offensive plan starting on day 1 and Bret Favre conformed to his plan. Now it appears Favre has gone away from Brad's plan in favor of his own style of offense. But the Bret Favre "style" offense hasn't been as effective. Favre has thrown for 3 TDs and 4 interceptions in the last three games. Could this be the real reason there is friction between Childress and Favre?

Two other important notes:
Viking All Pro running back Adrian Peterson hasn't had a 100-yard game in the last three games.
Ever since Vikings linebacker E.J. Henderson broke his leg against the Arizona Cardinals, the Vikings defense has become vulnerable.

INJURY REPORT

Vikings	Pos	Injury	Status
Pat Williams	DT	Elbow	Questionable
Brian Robison	DE	Quadricep	Probable
Antoine Winfield	CB	Foot	Probable
Steve Hutchinson	G	Shoulder	Probable
Bears	Pos	Injury	Status
Charles Tillman	CB	Non-Injury	DNP Last Game
Lance Briggs	LB	Back	DNP Last Game
Desmond Clark	TE	Illness	DNP Last Game
Adewale Ogunleye	DE	Lower Leg	Out

sources: nfl.com, espn.com, nydailynews.com, thespread.com

NFL Week 5 Monday Night Football: Jets-Dolphins Preview

2009-10-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

THE MATCHUP
New York Jets (3-1) vs Miami Dolphins (1-3)
Monday, October 12, 2009 @ 8:30 PM ET

Land Shark Stadium, Miami, Florida

THE LINE
Jets are the favorite, giving 1.5 points (-1 1/2). The Under/Over is 36

THE RECORD
The New York Jets are 3-1 Overall, 2-0 at Home and 1-1 Away.

They are 1-0 in the Division and 3-0 in their Conference.
The Jets have scored 74 points while giving up only 57.

The Miami Dolphins are 1-3 Overall, 1-1 at Home and 0-2 on the Road.

They are 1-0 in their Division and 1-2 in their Conference.
The Dolphins have scored 81 points while giving up 79.

AGAINST THE SPREAD (ATS)
The Jets are 3-1 ATS, 1-1 ATS Away
The Dolphins are 1-3 ATS, 1-1 ATS at Home, 1-3 ATS as the underdog and 1-1 ATS as a Home underdog

GAME PREVIEW
Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez teams up with the Jets new offensive tool, controversial wide receiver Braylon Edwards.

The Dolphins have a powerful running game, averaging 183 yards on the ground per game, but the Jets defense have given up an average of 100 yards per game.

The Jets will be up against a tough Dolphin defense that is giving up, on average, only 61 rushing yards per game. The Jets will need to pass effectively (averaging 166 yards in the air while the Dolphins defense are allowing 238 yards) to open up their running game.

The outcome of this game may very well be determined between the Jets defense and the Dolphins' prolific rushing attack?

GAME PREDICTION

Jets 24 Dolphins 17

Although the Dolphins lead the AFC in Rushing, the Jets defense has proven it can hold its own against the best offenses in the NFL. Expect Mark Sanchez to come back from his subpar play and put enough points on the board to win.

NFL Week 16 Monday Night Football Preview

2008-12-22T07:36:00.000-08:00

Here it is! Monday Night Football with the season on the line. The Chicago Bear face the Packers at Soldier Field and the game has playoff implications. If the Bears win they stay in contention for the NFC Wildcard, if they lose - they are done. Here's the scoop on the game tonight:

Green Bay Packers (5-9) vs Chicago Bears (8-6)

Monday, Dec 22, 2008 @ 8:30 PM EST

Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Weather Forecast: Clear 12-13 degrees

THE LINE (subject to change)

Bears are favorite (-4) and the Under/Over is 40

THE RECORD

The Green Bay Packers are 5-9 this season. They are 2-5 on the road.The Packers record against the spread (ATS) is 6-7 overall. They are 3-3 ATS away and 1-3 ATS as the underdog.
The Chicago Bears are 8-6 overall and 5-2 at home. The Bears are .500 ATS overall (6-6) and ATS at home (3-3)

GAME PREVIEW

The Bears are playing for their post season lives and going up against a division rival. The Packer are playing for pride and this rivalry is always intense - regardless of game implications. Both teams have lackluster offensives and have misses pieces on defense.
Playing in Chicago, on Monday night, during Christmas week - should make for a great game. that do not like each other, but Green Bay is playing simply for pride while Chicago still has a chance to make the postseason.

GAME PREDICTION (ATS)

Chicago Bears 24 Gren Bay Packers 17Simply put - the Bears have a reason to play - to stay in the wildcard race

WHOOP! Chris Berman Talks To McCain and Obama on MNF

2008-11-01T02:18:00.000-07:00

ESPN's very own, Chris Berman, will be interviewing both presidential candidates at halftime of Monday Night Football. The taped, one-on-one segments, will be aired at halftime on
this week's NFL (National Football League), Monday Night Football game, on the eve the 2008 presidential election.

The MNF game will feature the Pittsburg Steelers against the Washington Redskins. The game will be played in Washington, D.C. Kickoff time is 8:30 pm EST.

Chris Berman has made his legacy as the voice-over of ESPN's popular sports highlight replays. His entertaining phrases of, "he could go all the way" and "WHOOP" are classics. His zany and clever one liners have made him one of the most loved sportscasters in the business.

This unique opportunity for Chris to interview the candidates was a partnership between ESPN and the National Football League. John McCain and Barack Obama will each do one-on-one segments, via satellite, earlier in the day on Monday with Chris.

This interview will provide both candidates, Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama, the last opportunity to "sell" their plans and strategies as president of the United States, on prime-time television. ESPN is averaging a little over 12 million viewers this season.

It is said that the Washington Redskins are a barometer for predicting the outcome of presidential elections. If history repeats itself, a Washington Redskin victory would mean a win for John McCain. A win by the Pittsburgh Steelers would mean Barack Obama will be president.

The game will be exciting, and should have a playoff feel. Expect ESPN ratings to shoot through the roof. WHOOP! He could go all the way!

MNF Week 8 Colts @ Titans

2008-10-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

Week 8 of Monday Night Football will take place October 27, 2008 @ 8:30 PM EST with the Indianapolis Colts (3-3) visiting the Tennessee Titans (6-0). The game will be televised on ESPN.

SPREAD
Indianapolis Colts are Underdogs (+3 1/2). The Under/Over is 40 points (subject to change up till gametime)

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THE MNF PICK
Take Peyton Manning and the Colts getting 3 1/2 points. And the Over!
Predicted Final: Indianapolis Colts 24, Tennessee Titans 21

TEAM STANDINGS
The Tennessee Titans are (6-0) in 2008 but their winning streak of 9 games goes all the way back to last season. They lead the Colts in the AFC South by 3 games. The Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4) and Houston Texans (3-4) round up the division.

MOMENTUM
TITANS
The Titans are off to their best start in team history, but their 2008 schedule has been light, with 3 of the 6 wins against teams with losing records.

They are averaging almost 25 points a game and giving up, on average, only 11 points. This is by far the best Points For(PF)/Points Against(PA) ration in the NFL, averaging almost two touchdowns than their competitors.
Defensively the Titans are giving up over 340 yards a game, and if Peyton has a good day, expect that number to grow over to over 400.

In last week's 34-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Titans gobbled up 455 total yards, with 332 on the ground.

COLTS
The Colts haven't lived up to their potential this year. They are averaging just 21 points a game and giving up the same. Partly due to a Peyton Manning knee injury - but that is no excuse. They are off to their worst record (3-3) since 2001.

The Colts defense is giving up 153 yards per game and the Titans are ranked fourth in the NFL in running with 154 yards per game.

The Colts lost at Green Bay last week (34-14) where Peyton Manning had an atrocious 46.6 passer rating. One promising aspect of that game was that Dominic Rhodes rushed 20 times for 73 yards and 2 touchdowns. But they committed 12 penalties for a whopping season total of 46 penalties. Last year they were the least penalized team in the previous 6 years.

INJURY REPORT
COLTS
Player Pos Injury Status
Joe Addai RB Hamstring Out
Roy Hall WR Knee Out
Kelvin Hayden CB Knee Out
Bob Sanders S Ankle Out
Marlin Jackson CB Shoulder Questionable
Jacob Tamme TE Ankle Questionable

TITANS
Player Pos Injury Status
Tony Brown DT Ankle Questionable
Justin Gage WR Knee Questionable
Justin McCareins WR Hamstring Questionable
Kyle Vanden Bosch DE Groin Questionable

THE BOTTOM LINE
The Colts are 2-3 Against the Spread (ATS), 1-1 ATS away, 0-1 as the underdog, 0-1 - ATS as an away underdog

The Titans are 6-0 Against the Spread (ATS), 3-0 ATS at home, 3-0 ATS as the favorite and 2-0 ATS home favorite

In head to head competition

Colts Titans
Straight Up 8-4-0 4-8-0
ATS 2-4-0 4-2-0
ATS@Ten 1-2-0 2-1-0
ATS:Favorite 2-3-0 1-0-0
ATS:Underdog 0-1-0 3-2-0

Even though the Titans are 6-0, their schedule has been light and Kerry Collins is a mediocre quarterback. Combine that with the fact that the Titans and Peyton Manning are due for a breakout game. Combine that with the fact the Colts unbeaten record against the spread may be subject to the law of averages.

Two concerns are the Colts playing away and the injuries to the Colts Wide Receivers.

MNF WEEK 8 PICK OF THE WEEK - INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Take Peyton Manning and the Colts getting 3 1/2 points. And the Over (40 points)

Predicted Final Score: Indianapolis Colts 24, Tennessee Titans 21