It’s another Monday Night Football doubleheader in the NFL. As if that’s not enough action, DraftKings Sportsbook offers action on the spread, money lines and player props. The Week 7 MNF contests kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET with the Buccaneers hosting the Ravens on the East Coast. The Cardinals and Chargers keep the action going out west with a 9 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pick: Ravens -3.5 (-110)
Are the Ravens headed to the Super Bowl? Are Baker and the Bucs for real? Both are 4-2 and sit atop their respective divisions. The Ravens seem to be better than 4-2, while the Buccaneers seem worse. Perception isn’t reality. That’s no more true than in the NFL. Parity is real. Professional teams can beat any professional team. Even the worst roster can roll on a favorite. The 2024 season has been the Year of the Dog. Significant underdogs have covered and won outright often. The lines have shifted. Perception has to be questioned. The Bucs could be better than Baltimore.
Tampa has a top-10 offense. Their offensive attack ranks inside the top 10 for rushing and passing. That pales in comparison to the explosive Ravens — 453 yards per game (first). The question is the defenses. It’s not a difficult question. The Bucs are at the bottom in defense. They can’t stop the run or pass. They’re supposed to stop the best offense in the NFL on Monday Night Football?
After a sluggish start (0-2), The Ravens have won four in a row. They’re 3-1 to the over and 3-0-1 ATS. All six of their opponents have been quality teams. Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson look unstoppable. If their receiving corps improves, this could be a historical team.
This is an NFL road game and it’s prime time. The -3.5 might not be wrong but it seems conservative. It feels like a number by the books that is suddenly afraid to give dogs too many points in 2024. Baker has burned or baked the books before. His Bucs have scored 30 or more points in four of six this season. The Ravens have roasted the roost, too. This could be a shootout. It very well could be close at the end. It could come down to one score — one final possession. Who gets it? Lamar Jackson or Baker Mayfield? The answer is clear. The action goes on Jackson.
Los Angeles Chargers at Arizona Cardinals
Pick: Chargers -1.5 (-112)
The Cards and the Bolts have “unshockingly” flown under the radar. See what I did there? These aren’t popular teams but they could be. Justin Herbert could be overrated. He could be hated. He could be good. But it’s hard to imagine that he isn’t a talent that wants to be seen. JK Dobbins has rarely been seen since graduating from Ohio State due to injuries. His bad days in Baltimore are behind him. Sunny Los Angeles has revitalized the running back. His rushing stats are some of the best in the NFL — 428 rushing yards (sixth) and 5.4 yards per attempt (ninth). That’s why Herbert isn’t a household name in 2024. But that might be what Herbert needs. The Chargers’ identity has changed but have the mercurial Bolts really changed? Are they still as random as lightning strikes?
Los Angeles is playing well (3-2) but the Chiefs have jumped out to a 5-0 start and are running away with the NFC West. The Wild Card is a real possibility if Jim Harbaugh has truly turned this team around. He’s done it before. At San Francisco and the University of Michigan, he took talented rosters and ended eras of errors. Harbaugh cleans things up. It’s no-nonsense football. The Chargers play solid defense, run the ball and no longer put all the pressure on Justin Herbert. That’s a winning formula.
The Chargers’ West Coast opposition has lower expectations. No one expects the Cards to make the playoffs. They can’t play defense. They rank toward the bottom of the league in passing and rushing yards allowed. The Arizona offense features flashy names. Their least flashy player — James Conner — is carrying the stats. The stats don’t matter. Wins do. The wins come when the flashy player runs. Kyler Murray has exceeded 50 rushing yards twice and the Cardinals have won twice. The Cardinals need to cut Murray loose, but Harbaugh and the Chargers know this. If Murray gets loose they lose. The Chargers have a defense that can limit the dynamic quarterback. With Murray in check, the Chargers will game-manage and get a close win on the road.
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