For Week 2, we are treated to two great matchups on Monday Night football: Titans vs. Bills and Vikings vs. Eagles.
Let’s get straight to the picks.
Game 1: Titans at Bills
Spread: Bills -10
Total: 47.5
It’s been 11 days since the Bills annihilated the Rams in Los Angeles – that’s quite the layoff in between games. It’s also one of the reasons we are going to take the points with the visiting team to cover tonight.
The Bills enter the game as the team to beat in the NFL. They are currently the favorites to win the Super Bowl and Josh Allen is the frontrunner for the MVP award. They also sport the best defense in the NFL that has only been bolstered by the signing of Von Miller. They feature a stout run and pass defense, so Tennessee will have to get creative if they want to pull off the upset.
It was a year ago that the Titans defeated the Bills in a Monday night showdown by stuffing Josh Allen on a 4th-and-goal. This year, though, the Titans roster a completely different squad with no A.J. Brown who was traded to the Eagles and Harold Landry, who suffered a season-ending injury before Week 1. It showed in Week 1 when the Titans lost at home to an over-performing Giants squad by missing a field goal as time expired.
It may be an uphill battle, but the Titans were embarrassed once already this season and won’t want to suffer that same humiliation again. Look for Tennessee to pound the ball with Derrick Henry and try to dominate the ground game. The Bills, meanwhile, may play a bit rusty to start coming off the long layoff. They also may be looking ahead to a Week 3 matchup against the Dolphins, who many consider a legitimate contender to challenge Buffalo for the division title. That being said, I’m expecting a lower-scoring game and a Titans cover. Give me Titans +10 and the Under.
Game 2: Vikings at Eagles
Spread: Eagles -2.5
Total: 49.5
This game should have all the fireworks. A week after posting 38 points against the Lions, the Eagles host the Vikings in Philadelphia. The Vikings had their own impressive Week 1, defeating the rival Packers in Minnesota 23-7. They will have a much harder time against the Eagles’ dynamic offense in this matchup, but I’m leaning toward the underdog winning this one outright.
As touted as the Eagles’ defense was prior to the start of the season, they disappointed in the opening, surrendering 35 points to the Lions. They also lost DE Derek Barnett to a season-ending injury in the contest which created quite the hole on the defensive line. The Vikings should have no trouble exploiting that behind RBs Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison who are due for big games. They expect to move the ball through the air too with Justin Jefferson looking to have another explosive contest.
The Eagles exploded on offense in Week 1 behind a spectacular performance by WR A.J. Brown. QB Jalen Hurts also had a stunning outing and will look to duplicate his production tonight. However, while the Vikings’ defense is nowhere near elite, it is far more imposing than the Lions’ defense. Expect the Vikings to apply plenty of pressure as they did with Aaron Rodgers and create turnovers.
I predict this will be a shootout that is why I am taking the Over. I also love the Vikings’ potential to pull off the outright upset and that is why I am siding with the underdogs. Give me the Vikings ML and the Over.
