Chris Jordan
200♦ NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Black Widow
6* 2009 MNF TOTAL OF THE YEAR Falcons/Saints OVER 54
With the Saints scoring 45 or more points in 4 of their 6 games this season, taking the OVER on Monday night is really the only move. That's especially the case considering they face an explosive Falcons' offense and a suspect Atlanta defense. The Falcons were exposed last week, giving up 37 points and 414 yards of total offense to the Cowboys. They did manage to put up 21 points, which they have scored 21 or more in 4 of 6 games this season. The Saints are giving up 30.5 points/game in their last 2 games, which means Atlanta should be able to put up plenty of points Monday to help out with the OVER. Now back to this ridiculous New Orleans' offense. The Saints are scoring 39.7 points/game this season and putting up 427 yards of total offense/game. They cannot be tamed right now and Atlanta does not have the defense that is going to slow them down. Last year, the Saints won 29-25 at home vs. Atlanta and the Falcons won 34-20 at home vs. New Orleans as both meetings saw 54 combined points exactly. It's clear that both teams are improved offensively this season, which means they should have no problem combining to score more than 54 points Monday. The Saints are 11-3 OVER (+7.7 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons. New Orleans is 6-0 OVER (+6.0 Units) in home games after gaining 400 or more total yards in their previous game over the last 3 seasons. The OVER is 5-0 in Falcons last 5 games after allowing more than 30 points in their previous game. The Saints are 6-0 OVER (+6.0 Units) in home games after gaining 6 or more yards/play in their previous game over the last 3 seasons. Get ready for some offensive fireworks Monday night ladies and gentlemen. We are predicting this one will have gone OVER by the end of the 3rd quarter. Take the OVER 54 points here.
Doc's Sports
2 Units New Jersey Nets +7
Dave Malinsky
3* PHILADELPHIA over NY YANKEES
The Phillies, to go back to Dylan Thomas, will not go gently into that good night. This is a poised and veteran team that brings a lot of character to the table, and there will not be a sense of defeat after the last two games on this field got away. That gives us a prime opportunity to play the spectacular form of Cliff Lee, and go into A. J. Burnett on three day’s rest, something that the latter has only one four times in his career, and not once this season. Lee’s post-season work has been nothing short of brilliant. He has allowed just two earned runs on 20 hits over 33.1 innings (an 0.54 allowance), with 30 strikeouts vs. only three walks. From this mound he has allowed one run in 17 innings, with 15 Ks and no walks, and the only thing that kept him from working shutouts each time was an 11-0 lead over Los Angeles that left little reasons for him to take the mound for the 9th inning. His stuff was as good in the dominating Game #1 win at Yankee Stadium as anything that we have seen this season, with 10 strikeouts, no walks and only six hits allowed, and given the way that the Yankees were not able to adjust to him over the course of the evening, getting a second look is not necessarily an asset. There were a lot of confused swings on Wednesday, and we expect more of the same here. Meanwhile Burnett also threw well in winning Game #2, but in getting stretched out to 108 pitches, the lack of proper down-time between starts becomes a factor. He only worked to an 8-6/4.83 tune on the road this season, and in the lone playoff outing from a foreign mound was clubbed for six runs in as many innings against the Angels. His game is much different than Lee’s, which makes a quick second look a plus for the Phillies ? in three outings this season in which he had to face the same team twice in a span of 11 days or less he worked to a 6.75 tune. Even if he can bring anything near his top game to the table he is unlikely to be able to bridge this one to Mariano Rivera, and that brings the New York set-up corps into play, a clear weakness even in building this 3-1 series lead.
Bob Balfe
Falcons/Saints Over 56
This is probably the highest total I have seen on MNF ever. The reason why it is so high is because the Saints are scoring 40pts almost every week. I don't see much changing tonight. Atlanta does not have the defense they once had and they have some defensive line injuries which will give Drew Brees a ton of time to do his thing. Atlanta also has a ton of play makers on offense and they will be going against a Saints team with their own defensive line issues. MNF games have been going over almost every week in the past two seasons. I know that chances are one game is bound to go Under, but when you have two offensive teams that can score from anywhere on the field it never takes long for points to start rolling up on the board. Look for both teams to be explosive on offense. Take the Over.
NBA Basketball
Rockets +7.5 over Jazz
MLB Baseball
Phillies -150 over Yankees
Lee/Burnett
Teddy Covers
Knicks
The Boooj
10* Atlanta +12
Tony Salinas
25* Phillies (-140) over NY Yankees
Seabass
100* Phillies
ATS
4 Units Over 55
Al DeMarco
15 Dime - New Orleans Saints
Many times you will hear the phrase "go against the public on Monday nights." Talk about pure, unsubstantiated rubbish. The public is NOT always wrong, and in this strange season where double-digit favorites have been a betting bonanza, and simply picking the straight-up winner of a game has produced over 80% pointspread winners on the year, laying points with the hottest team in the NFL can be understood.
To use a boxing analogy, New Orleans was on the ropes last Sunday at Miami, clearly softened up for the antipated knockout by the Dolphins, who jumped on them early and enjoyed a double-digit halftime lead. But in a game that might define this club, and give it the confidence it needs no matter what situation it faces from this point forward, the Saints stunned Miami with 30 second-half points to win and cover in a 46-34 victory.
New Orleans has covered 18 of its last 23, going 7-1 ATS in its last eight outings as a home favorite. While Drew Brees has garnered most of the attention for the team's success this season, the true key on offensive has been a ground game that entered the weekend ranked second in the NFL with a per game average of 154 yards. Powered by Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas, the ground attack should have continued success against a soft Atlanta defense allowing opposing ball carriers to average 4.6 yards per carry.
A strong rushing attack allows Brees the luxury of picking his spots to go on an aerial attack, and tonight he'll be facing an Atlanta stop unit that entered the weekend ranked 25th in the league at stopping the pass. Quarterbacks are completing 60% of their passes against the Falcons, who have been unable to generate much of a pass rush on the season with just 12 sacks through six games. Last Sunday, Tony Romo of the Cowboys lit Atlanta's secondary up with a 21-for-29 effort worth 311 yards and 3 TDs.
This is the Saints third "step-up" game of the season. In their first, they flattened the then-undefeated Jets, amidst all the "Rex Ryan is a genius" talk, 24-10 at home. Two weeks later, they hosted the 5-0 Giants and dominated them far more than the 48-27 final score would indicate. Now, coming off one of the biggest comeback wins in franchise history, they have the momentum and national forum to show the league they're for real with a rout of the visiting Falcons, who have lost two straight on the road by identical 16-point margins at New England and Dallas.
NHL PRO PICKS
Tampa Bay +160
Payne Sports
9 Units Falcons +11.5
Tim Robbie
Falcons at Saints
Pick: Saints
Saints are 5-1 against Atlanta since Drew Brees joined the team, and are the first team in NFL history to score 45 or more points in 4 of their first 6 games to start a season. All 6 of their wins have been by 10 or more points. Falcons QB Matt Ryan has thrown 5 interceptions in the past 3 games, while Saints DB Darren Sharper has 3 TDs on interception returns this year. The Saints will show off their high powered offense at home in front of a national prime time television audience.
Fantasy Sports Gametime
100* Play New Orleans (-11.5) over Atlanta
The Saints are 6-0 this season and are 6-0 against the spread. They are 10-1 against the spread in their last 11 games as a favorite of 3.5 10.0. With the No. 1 ranked offense in the NFL, the Saints average margin of victory in 6 games is 18.2. Led by QB Drew Brees, the Saints average 39.7 points per game, while the defense allows just 21.2 per game. Atlantas passing defense currently ranks 22nd , giving up more than 250 yards per game.
100* Play New Jersey (+7.5) over Charlotte
Charlotte has lost 8 of the last 9 games vs. new Jersey at home and they have also lost 21 of the last 29 games coming off a road loss by 10 points or more.