Monday Night Football: Saints Vs. Texans

The first week of the 2019 NFL season ends tonight with a special Monday Night Football doubleheader. The Week 1 action begins at 7:10 p.m. with the New Orleans Saints hosting the Houston Texans in a battle of playoff contenders, then wraps up at 10:20 p.m. ET with an AFC West rivalry game between the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos. Both contests will be televised by ESPN and live streamed on WatchESPN. There should be plenty of on-field excitement for fans to enjoy as they watch the final four teams making their 2019 NFL season debut, but those that want up to up the ante may wish to place a wager down on the outcomes.

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Oddsmakers opened the Saints as a seven-point home favorite in their showdown with the Texans. That line has since shifted down to NO -6.5 despite most of the public backing New Orleans. The Saints are currently responsible for 59% of all bets against the spread in this game, but the bigger tickets like Houston to cover. With a couple hours to go before kickoff, 57% of the total money wagered against the number is rooting for the Texans to keep the final scoreline within a touchdown. The total for the opening Monday Night Football game is 53 points, slightly up from the initial over/under of 52. Approximately two-thirds of the public is hoping for a high scoring affair, with 68% of all bets and 67% of cash wagered on that side of the total.

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The Week 1 finale between the Raiders and Broncos has seen some intriguing line movement. Oakland was home chalk out of the gate—opening as three-point favorites—but the spread for this Monday Night Football game has since completely flipped and the Broncos are now laying three on the road. The main reason for this drastic shift was the conclusion of the Antonio Brown saga in Northern California, after the star wideout was released by the Raiders over the weekend. Brown, acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers for draft picks in the offseason, had made headlines throughout preseason for his threats to retire, clashes with the front office and more. Eventually the team decided to part ways with the mercurial receiver—

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freeing him up to sign with the New England Patriots—and lost what was projected to be a major part of the Oakland offense during the 2019 NFL season. The public has no faith in the Raiders right now, evident by the team garnering only 30% of spread bets and 25% of the money. The total on this game has remained relatively consistent, dropping to 43 after going up on the board at 44. Bettors are split on this number, with 53% of all tickets preferring the over, while 55% of cash is on the under.

If you are looking for predictions against the spread for tonight’s doubleheader, you have come to the right spot. Pro handicapper Jon Price of SportsInformationTraders.com knocked his Week 1 primetime picks out of the park, correctly calling that the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers would cover in their respective nationally televised contests. He also hit on his lock of the week, nailing that the Dallas Cowboys would have little trouble beating the number in their opener against the New York Giants. The Vegas expert is back with another set of can’t-miss ATS picks, but before seeing which teams he is leaning towards tonight, have a look at the complete viewing guide for Monday Night Football in the table below. You can find the full schedule, kickoff start times, TV and live stream info, updated odds, betting trends and more for both the Saints vs. Texans and Raiders vs. Broncos. Don’t forget to check out the complete list of Week 1 scores, as well as some highlights from Sunday’s slate of games.