PHILADELPHIA (10 - 6) at ATLANTA (6 - 10) - 9/14/2015, 7:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games when playing on Monday night since 1992.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
MINNESOTA (7 - 9) at SAN FRANCISCO (8 - 8) - 9/14/2015, 10:20 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 29-10 ATS (+18.0 Units) when playing on Monday night since 1992.
SAN FRANCISCO is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in all games where the total is between 35.5 and 42 points over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
PHILADELPHIA vs. ATLANTA
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
MINNESOTA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Minnesota is 2-14-1 SU in its last 17 games ,on the road
Minnesota is 2-6-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Francisco's last 7 games
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Philadelphia at Atlanta
Philadelphia: 15-5 ATS in road games when playing on Monday night
Atlanta: 4-10 ATS in games where the line is +3 to -3
Minnesota at San Francisco
Minnesota: 23-39 ATS as a road favorite
San Francisco: 29-10 ATS when playing on Monday night
NFL Week 1
Eagles @ Falcons -- Philly won last six road openers, winning SU as dog last two years; three of their last five were decided by 3 or less points. Under Kelly, Eagles are 9-7 vs spread on road, 11-4 in games where spread was 3 or less points. Falcons won last two vs Philly 35-31/30-17; average total in last three series games is 53.7. Over is 11-5 in Eagle road games under Kelly. Atlanta is 4-10 in last 14 games where spread was 3 or less; they're 9-5 as home dog since '08. Falcons went 10-22 last two years so they made change on bench; new OC Kyle Shanahan is familiar with Eagles from his days in Washington.
Vikings @ 49ers -- Peterson back for Minnesota; he last played in LY's opener. Lot of changes with 49ers, few for better; they were 44-19-1 under Harbaugh. 11 of 22 starters from LY are gone now. Niners won last four openers and scored 28+ in all four- they're home underdog for first time since 2011. Home side won 10 of last 11 Viking-Niner games; Minnesota lost eight of last nine visits here; they're road favorite for first time since '12, 12-5 in last 17 games where spread was 3 or less. Vikings are 4-10 in last 14 road openers, with eight of last 11 staying under total. Since 2007, 49ers are 3-11-3 as an underdog of 3 or less points; 11 of their last 16 home games stayed under total.
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NFL: Streaks, Tips, Notes
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Philadelphia at Atlanta
In one of two Monday nighter's the Philadelphia Eagles travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons. You never want to get too excited about what happens during the NFL preseason, but Eagles offense was impressive racking up 264 passing, 140 rushing yards/game for 13 majors. Sam Bradford looking sharp in practice season (13-of-15 with 3 TD's) along with arguably the best rushing trio in the NFL in Murray, Mathews, Sproles expect Eagles to make it 3-0 SU/ATS in season openers since Chip Kelly's arrival and 5-2 ATS as favorites vs the conference while Falcons see a string of 7-0 SU/ATS season home openers come to an end.
Monday Night Football Doubleheader Preview
By Covers.com
Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons (+2.5, 55)
The new Sam Bradford Era kicks off in earnest on Monday night when the oft-injured quarterback leads the Philadelphia Eagles into Atlanta to face the Falcons in the season opener. Acquired from St. Louis for fellow QB Sam Foles in the offseason, Bradford isn't the only highly publicized new face on Chip Kelly's team, as reigning Offensive Player of the Year DeMarco Murray (1,845 yards, 13 touchdowns) has shuffled over from NFC East rival Dallas to take the place of the departed LeSean McCoy.
Philadelphia allowed free-agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin to head to Kansas City, believing that second-year Jordan Matthews can thrive on the inside while rookie Nelson Agholor can make hay on the outside. Speaking of wide receivers, two-time Pro Bowler Julio Jones reeled in 104 receptions for a franchise-record 1,593 yards last season en route to securing a five-year deal worth $71.25 million in the summer. "We think Julio is an elite receiver in this league, obviously," Kelly said. "He presents a lot of problems because of his combination of size and speed. Usually guys that are 6-foot-2-plus, 6-3, 220 (pounds) don't run as fast as Julio." Matt Ryan (4,694 yards, 28 TDs) will likely look for Jones on many occasions, but his rebuilt offensive line may have a say in whether he has enough time to find him.
LINE HISTORY: After opening the Giants as 6-point home favorites, sportsbooks have since moved them to -5. The total opened at 49.5 but has risen to 52 as of this writing.
INJURY REPORT: Philadelphia - L. Johnson (probable), K. Alonso (probable), Z. Ertz (questionable), M. Smith (questionable), J. Shepherd (IR). Atlanta - J. Tamme (probable), J. Matthews (probable), R. White (probable), D. Hester (out), B. Reed (IR), J. Asamoah (IR), T. Howard (IR), C. Mooney (IR), L. Holmes (eligible Week 7).
ABOUT THE EAGLES (2014: 10-6, 2nd, NFC EAST): Philadelphia's defense also features several new faces as linebacker Kiko Alonso was acquired from Buffalo for McCoy and cornerback Byron Maxwell came over from Seattle. At 6-1, 207 pounds, Maxwell may be the best candidate to press Jones at the line, but he'll need help over the top to keep the speedy wideout in check. Also new to Philadelphia is Ryan Mathews, who is expected to spell Murray while also platooning with pass-catching Darren Sproles in the backfield.
ABOUT THE FALCONS (2014: 6-10, 3rd, NFC SOUTH): New offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will attempt to figure out a backfield in flux as rookie Tevin Coleman has been promoted to starter with Devonta Freeman nursing a nagging hamstring injury. Veteran Roddy White is dealing with a balky knee following a pair of injury-plagued campaigns while Leonard Hankerson replaces the departed Harry Douglas (Tennessee) as the team's third wideout in a pass-happy offense. Atlanta finished last season second in completions (418), third in attempts (632) and fifth in passing yards (4,553) while its 372 rushing attempts were sixth worst in the league.
TRENDS:
*Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Atlanta.
*Falcons are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 vs. NFC.
*Eagles are 3-10-1 ATS in their last 14 games in September.
*Eagles are 9-4-1 ATS in their last 14 meetings.
CONSENSUS: According to Covers Consensus, 64 percent of wagers are on the Eagles.
Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco Giants (+2.5, 41.5)
Star running back Adrian Peterson is back in the lineup and that alone is reason for optimism for the Minnesota Vikings, who kick off their season with a visit to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. Peterson was limited to only one game last season after charges of child abuse were leveled against him and wound up on the Commissioner's exempt list.
“You hear the name Adrian Peterson, what do you think? The best running back in the league,” Vikings wide receiver Charles Johnson said. “He’s going to draw a lot of attention." Perhaps the only positive to come out of Peterson's absence was the development of rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who lived up to his first-round status over the final month of the season. The 49ers, meanwhile, entered last season as one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl, but they are loaded with uncertainty after switching head coaches and undergoing massive personnel changes. Jim Tomsula takes over for Jim Harbaugh, who returned to his alma mater Michigan, and faces the unenviable task of overhauling a defense that lost four players to retirement to go with the release of star pass rusher Aldon Smith.
LINE HISTORY: The pointspread has been on a wild ride in this one, as books are currently dealing San Fran +2.5 after opening them as 4-point faves.
WEATHER: The forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the 69 degree Fahrenheit ballpark at game time.
INJURY REPORT: Minnesota - M. Pruitt (probable), J. Robinson (out indefinitely), J. Price (eligible Week 3), J. Sullivan (IR), P. Loadholt (IR), C. Matthews (IR). San Francisco - A. Brooks (probable), T. Smith (probable), J. Simpson (eligible Week 7), K. Hunter (IR), D. Anderson (IR), D. Kilgore (IR), D. Smelter (IR).
ABOUT THE VIKINGS (2014: 7-9, 3rd NFC NORTH): Peterson had scored at least 10 touchdowns in each of his first seven seasons and rushed for at least 1,266 yards in six of his first seven campaigns, so he'll provide Bridgewater with a major weapon. Bridgewater, who completed 72.1 percent of his passes and threw for eight touchdowns versus five interceptions over the final five games, has another deep threat in wideout Mike Wallace and a big red-zone target in tight end Kyle Rudolph, who has missed nearly half his games over the past two seasons. Minnesota's defense improved as the season went on, holding six of its last 11 opponents to 17 points or fewer.
ABOUT THE 49ERS (2014: 8-8, 3rd NFC WEST): Quarterback Colin Kaepernick finished with 19 touchdown passes versus 10 interceptions while reaching career highs in passing (3,369) and rushing yards (639), but he'll be without veteran running back Frank Gore. Carlos Hyde is expected to take over in the backfield while Torrey Smith provides blazing speed at wide receiver, but the 49ers could use a return to form by tight end Vernon Davis, who managed only 26 receptions and a career-worst two touchdown catches. The linebacking corps took a hit with the retirements of Patrick Willis and Chris Borland while the losses of Aldon Smith and the retired Justin Smith weaken the pass rush.
CONSENSUS: Fifty-seven percent of bets are on the Vikes, per Covers Consensus.
Monday's Top Action
By Sportsbook.ag
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (0-0) at ATLANTA FALCONS (0-0)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Philadelphia -3, Total: 56.5
Chip Kelly and his new look offense head down to Georgia Monday night to take on Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and the high flying Falcons.
In just two seasons, Kelly took an offense that ranked 29th in scoring and 15th in yards to consecutive top-5 finishes in both categories with essentially the same parts. Now he has some new toys to play with, swapping Nick Foles for QB Sam Bradford, moving LeSean McCoy to Buffalo and replacing him with 2014 rushing champion RB DeMarco Murray and former Chargers first-round pick RB Ryan Matthews. Monday night we will see what Kelly’s offense can truly do with the pieces that he wants (No. 1 offense in preseason).
The Eagles have been a Monday night juggernaut in the past, going 15-5 ATS on MNF since 1992. The departure of wideout Jeremy Maclin to Kansas City was addressed with the drafting of USC standout WR Nelson Agholor 20th overall to line up opposite second-year WR Jordan Matthews. Agholor joins a group of 18 former Pac-12 players on the Eagles roster, which includes seven former Oregon Ducks, perhaps giving Kelly a leg up on teaching his system since they’re already familiar, if not well-versed.
Philly’s diversity in the run game bodes well for bettors as the Eagles are 50-18 ATS since 1992 when rushing for 125-to-150 yards and they’re 63-34 ATS when racking up 400+ total yards.
For the Falcons, it is a change at the top that they hope will turn things around. Mike Smith’s tenure ended with a thud after back-to-back dismal seasons in which his defense finished in the bottom five in scoring both years. The 2012 Falcons had the best record in the league at 13-3 and ranked fifth in scoring defense, but followed with 4-12 and 6-10 seasons, and last year's team had the worst defense in the NFL. Former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is the new head coach and hopes are high that he’ll return Atlanta to the top of a wide-open NFC South division. Atlanta has had trouble with Philly over the years though, as the Eagles are 10-4 ATS in this matchup since 1992.
Both defenses will have their hands full Monday night. The Falcons gave up a league-high 21 rushing TD last season and Murray tied Marshawn Lynch for the NFL lead with 13 scores on the ground. Atlanta allowed only eight yards per game more than Philly last season, but the Eagles defense forced 24 fumbles (most in league) and allowed only 3.7 yards per carry (tied for 4th-fewest) while Atlanta forced only 13 fumbles and surrendered 4.2 yards per carry on the year.
Atlanta added some quality defenders this offseason in former Bucs first-round pick DE Adrian Clayborn, drafted LB Vic Beasley with the eighth overall pick, and took CB Jalen Collins from LSU in the second round. Atlanta used every pick on defense in 2015 with the exception of Coleman and East Carolina WR Justin Hardy, meaning that new defensive coordinator Richard Smith (former Broncos LB coach) will have a lot of new pieces to his defensive puzzle.
The Eagles defense should be a formidable unit in 2015 with the addition of former All-Pro LB Kiko Alonso in the LeSean McCoy trade plus five 2015 draft picks. Alonso is coming off a major knee injury that took his entire 2014 season, but in his rookie year of 2013, Alonso was third in the league with 159 tackles and tied with defensive MVP Luke Kuechly for the most interceptions by a middle linebacker (4). He'll fit in well with an opportunistic Philly defense that last season led the NFC with 49 sacks, led the NFL with four defensive touchdowns and finished third with 28 takeaways.
Atlanta QB Matt Ryan will need some help from the running game in order to right the ship, as his Falcons have been among the bottom-10 rushing teams in the league for three years in a row, including dead last in 2013. Rookie RB Tevin Coleman out of Indiana University will look to be the workhorse with support from second-year RB Devonta Freeman. Keeping the ball away from Kelly’s offense may be the only way to slow them down, so a big debut from Coleman could go a long way towards success. When Atlanta totals 350-to-400 yards of offense since 1992, the club is 57-31 ATS.
Ryan will have his usual cast of talented receivers available with veteran WR Roddy White probable for Week 1, but Ryan is just 1-6 SU on Monday Night Football in his career. Top WR Julio Jones is coming off a career year in which he led all NFC pass catchers with 1,593 yards and 104 receptions. Jones was one of four players league-wide to eclipse the 100-catch mark and his career average of 88.4 receiving yards per game is the highest mark in NFL history.
Ryan and the Falcons have lost the last two meetings with Philly, and in four career matchups he is 2-2. His completion percentage of 59.4% against the Eagles defense is his worst career mark against any NFC opponent.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (0-0) at SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (0-0)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Minnesota -2.5, Total: 41.5
Monday’s nightcap will feature the return of Minnesota RB Adrian Peterson after a one-year suspension and 49ers All-Pro LB NaVorro Bowman, playing for the first time since the 2013 NFC Championship.
To say a lot has changed since Peterson and Bowman last suited up for a meaningful game is an understatement. Peterson played in the 2014 season opener at St. Louis, racking up a pedestrian 75 rushing yards in the 34-6 victory. Bowman’s last game, a heart-breaking 23-17 loss in the 2013 NFC Championship against hated rival Seattle, ended with Bowman having a lot more than just a broken heart. Little did Bowman know that when he recovered from his torn ACL suffered that day, he would eventually return to a thinned-out defense with just a pair of starters left on that once formidable defensive unit. He also didn't think his head coach Jim Harbaugh would be run out of town and replaced by little-known Jim Tomsula.
The 49ers defense was so good at its peak, that if the offense could muster a couple of touchdowns, the game was all but finished. In fact, in the last two years, San Francisco is 8-0 ATS when scoring just 22-to-28 points against the opposition. For Minnesota, there’s a lot of room for improvement as its offense was held to 21 points or less 10 times last season. Minnesota is 35-60 ATS all-time when scoring 15-to-21 points, but Peterson will certainly boost these numbers as long as he's healthy.
Since 1992, the Niners have a mark of 29-10 ATS when playing on Monday night. The clubs have met in San Francisco six times since 1992, with the 49ers holding a 5-1 SU edge (4-2 ATS).
Adrian Peterson’s Vikings are a team on the rise with second-year QB Teddy Bridgewater ready for a breakout season under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Norv Turner. The addition of former Steelers/Dolphins deep threat, WR Mike Wallace, combined with the return of Peterson should equal a dramatic increase in production for Bridgewater and an offense that was ranked 27th in 2014. The health of TE Kyle Rudoloph will also be a determining factor in the QB’s development and the team’s success. Rudolph has missed half of each of the last two seasons after what looked to be a breakout 2012 campaign in which he found the end zone nine times.
Bridgewater will need all hands on deck against what is still a legitimate 49ers front seven. In 2014, Minnesota threw an NFC-low 17 touchdowns while surrendering 51 sacks, which was the fifth-most in the NFL. While Bridgewater and the young Vikings have never faced San Francisco, Peterson has never lost to the 49ers in three career meetings despite sporting some pretty paltry numbers of zero rushing TD and 3.0 YPC, his lowest against any opponent.
In the last meeting between these two clubs on Sept. 23, 2012, it was Christian Ponder’s big day that propelled the Vikings to victory. Ponder connected on a pair of scores to TE Kyle Rudolph as well as running in a third touchdown en route to a 24-13 win over the eventual NFC Champs.
Both teams have undergone massive changes in the three years since that meeting including both head coaches being swapped out. Former Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer took the reigns last season and turned a 5-10-1 ballclub with Peterson into a 7-9 squad without him. Zimmer feels ready to compete in the tough NFC North division. His defensive unit was more than adequate through the air in 2014, ranking sixth in the NFL in passing defense.
Unfortunately for 49ers fans, nobody would consider Colin Kaepernick to be a polished passing quarterback, so the 49ers will likely try to lean on the running game as they have in the past. Carlos Hyde enters his first season as an NFL starter out of Ohio State, and with Frank Gore’s departure, Hyde will have no shortage of opportunities to prove his worth. Rugby star RB Jarryd Hayne had a big preseason by the bay and will likely see a fair amount of action with Kendall Hunter being placed on IR. New WR Torrey Smith (probable – knee) came over from Baltimore to join Anquan Boldin on the outside while
MNF Doubleheader
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Eagles (-3, 56) at Falcons
Philadelphia opened up as a 1½-point road favorite when the Las Vegas Hotel & Casino SuperBook (LVH) released lines for Week 1 back in April. After an impressive preseason effort, the Eagles have been boosted up to a three-point favorite at most books, as Chip Kelly’s squad is expected to do big things in the NFC with his explosive offense. However, traveling to the loud Georgia Dome to take on a Falcons’ squad who missed the playoffs last season won’t be an easy task for Philadelphia.
The Eagles topped the 36-point mark in each of their first three preseason victories, as Sam Bradford threw three touchdown passes in the dress rehearsal win at Green Bay. There are plenty of new faces on the Philadelphia offense with Nick Foles, LeSean McCoy, and Jeremy Maclin out of town, as Bradford and DeMarco Murray look to keep up the offensive prowess under Kelly.
The Falcons begin the Dan Quinn era following back-to-back losing campaigns, including a 6-10 mark in 2014. Quinn comes over from Seattle where he spent the last two seasons as defensive coordinator, helping the Seahawks win consecutive conference championships. The Falcons allowed at least 27 points in eight games last season, while this club put together a dreadful 1-9 record outside of NFC South play.
Atlanta has been automatic in home openers since Matt Ryan took over at quarterback in 2008, posting a perfect 7-0 SU/ATS record, including a 37-34 overtime triumph against New Orleans as a three-point underdog in 2014. The Falcons took a step back at home last season, losing four of their final five games at the Georgia Dome after early victories over the Saints and Buccaneers. Since 2008, the Falcons have struggled in Monday night contests, compiling a 1-6 SU and 4-3 ATS record with three of those covers coming as double-digit underdogs.
Philadelphia is making its first trip to Atlanta since 2011, when the Falcons outlasted the Eagles, 35-31 as 2½-point underdogs in Week 2. Kelly didn’t face the Falcons in his first two seasons as head coach of the Eagles, while going 1-2 SU/ATS as a road favorite in 2014 with the lone win coming at Houston. The Eagles have performed well on Monday nights in Kelly’s short tenure, winning in all three tries since 2013, including an opening night victory two seasons ago at Washington.
Vikings (-2½, 41½) at 49ers
Minnesota ventures out west after wrapping up 2014 by covering eight of its final 10 games. The Vikings fell short of the playoffs for the second straight season at 7-9, but get back Adrian Peterson in the backfield after missing all but one game in 2014 due to disciplinary reasons. Now, the Vikings look to capitalize on a solid 4-1 SU/ATS record in the preseason, heading to battle a rebuilding San Francisco squad.
The 49ers have moved on from Jim Harbaugh as former defensive line coach Jim Tomsula was promoted in January to head coach. San Francisco hit the skids following three straight trips to the NFC title game from 2011-13 with a subpar 8-8 record in 2014, which was capped off by a 1-4 finish and Harbaugh’s dismissal. The home-field advantage at brand new Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara was anything but as the Niners went 4-4 SU and 2-6 ATS, all in the favorite role.
Now, San Francisco will be listed as an underdog at Levi’s Stadium for the first time, while Minnesota is laying points on the road for the first time since 2012. In fact, the Vikings last covered as away ‘chalk’ back in 2010 at Washington, posting an 0-3 SU/ATS record since that ATS win. Minnesota cashed four of its final five games away from TCF Bank Stadium last season as an underdog, but the Vikings lost their last three road games at Chicago, Detroit, and Miami.
These two teams are hooking up for the first time since 2012, as the Vikings knocked off the 49ers at the Metrodome, 24-13 as 6½-point underdogs. Minnesota is making its first trip to the Bay Area since 2007 when the Vikings destroyed the Niners, 27-7 as eight-point favorites. The Vikings have lost five straight Monday night games dating back to 2009, while the 49ers are riding a seven-game winning streak in Monday action since 2010.