NFL Week 2 Monday Night Football Picks & Predictions

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Houston Texans

Line: Texans -2.5

Total: 42.5

We kick off this Monday night double header with the Buccaneers traveling to Houston to take on the Texans. Tampa won’t feel out of place, however, given that both Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans grew up in Texas. However, I think this is a great bounce-back spot for the Texans at home. Tampa Bay is a less imposing opponent than the Rams in my opinion, who Houston faced in Week 1. New OC Nick Caley featured a ton of three wide receiver sets in the Week 1 loss to the Rams and that should likely continue tonight with backup TE Cade Stover out. Tampa Bay profiles as a pass funnel defense and I could see CJ Stroud having a big game here attacking them through the air. Nico Collins predictably should have a big game after a rough Week 1 performance and the Texans have a plethora of guys behind him who could emerge as DFS values tonight. Between Justin Watson, Xavier Hutchinson, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel I have my eyes on Watson as a potential sleeper. We know that he has the speed to be a deep threat from his time in KC and he ran the majority of his routes from the slot against the Rams on a 56% snap rate. Dalton Shultz is also set up for a big game, with Stover out. I expect Nick Chubb to once again lead this backfield, but it’s a tough match-up against this Buccaneers run defense. 

Houston has one of the best defenses in the NFL, and I’ll be watching to see if Derek Stingley matches up with him the whole game. If that’s the case, Tampa is going to need someone else to step up in the pass catching group and my money would be on Sterling Shepard and Cade Otton. Emeka Egbuka should generate some attention after his huge NFL debut, while Shepard was right behind him in routes run from the slot on this team last week. Houston has always been a TE funnel under Demeco Ryans, and I expect Baker to look both Shepard and Otton’s way a lot on Monday night. 

We know this backfield will be dominated by Bucky Irving, who had one of the biggest workloads in the NFL for a RB in Week 1. 

Score Prediction: Texans 24, Buccaneers 17

Touchdown Prediction: Justin Watson

 

Los Angeles Chargers @ Las Vegas Raiders

Line: Chargers -3.5

Total: 46.5

 

We find ourselves with a divisional game in the night cap, with the Chargers traveling to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders after a big win over the Chiefs to begin their season. My biggest thing to watch in this game will be the pass rate and offensive game plan from Los Angeles. Most assumed coming into the season that Jim Harbaugh / Greg Roman would call a run-heavy game plan especially after using a high draft pick on Omarion Hampton. That was not the case in Week 1, as the Chargers came out slinging the ball against KC and if you look back to last season they skewed pretty pass heavy when Justin Herbert was healthy as well. I’m expecting Najee Harris to still be eased into action after missing all of camp, so it should be another night of Hampton firmly leading this backfield. 

Quentin Johnston broke out in a huge way against the Chiefs, scoring two touchdowns. He’s set up for another big game with the Raiders struggling to contain the deep ball. Drake Maye and Kayshon Boutte connected on multiple splash plays against the Raiders secondary last week and we could see a similar opportunity for Johnston in this game. Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen need no introduction. If Johnston actually blossoms this is one of the top WR groups in football. 

On the Raiders side, masked in the loss to the Patriots is how good Geno Smith looked. Smith has always been underrated, and with him boasting better passing numbers indoors throughout his career this is a spot he could take advantage of. Kansas City failed to truly punish this Chargers defense, but Xavier Worthy immediately getting injured didn’t help their case. The Raiders have a good WR corps and if Smith has time to throw I think all of Jakobi Meyers, Brock Bowers, Tre Tucker and Donte Thornton are in good spots tonight. Thornton had a ton of Air Yards last week, as did Tucker and those are the two I would look at in the props market. 

Ashton Jeanty scored a TD in Week 1, but was mostly bottled up in the run game. I don’t think this OL profiles as a good run blocking unit so that could be an issue for him all season. Ultimately, I expect this to be a close game. 

Score Prediction: Chargers 28, Raiders 27

Touchdown Prediction: Justin Herbert