Monday Night Football Betting Tips

NFL bettors love to get action down on Monday Night Football every week as it's the last chance for the week to either get back some of the losses or add to the gains. That mindset can be problematic though because many times bettors forget that if a certain MNF game wasn't a stand alone contest and played on Sunday afternoon with all the other games, avoiding that game wouldn't be a problem. Bettors should handicap a weekly NFL football board regardless of the date and time a game is played but with the national audience MNF attracts, many can't help but find a way to get action down.

 

Monday Night Football Betting

All of that isn't to say that there aren't great betting options on MNF as there often are. But depending on your handicapping style and methods, forcing action on Monday Night Football games is often a losing proposition. There is no need to chase losses should you have a bad Sunday if nothing on MNF, nor is there much of a need to try to add to profits for the week just because "you're feeling good and this is the last chance to bet on NFL for a few days." 

However, if a MNF game stands out to you for any number of reasons and betting on it is an inevitability, there are a few things to remember. First, a national showcase game brings much more action to it simply because it's the only game in town and you'll often see a majority of action on one side or total for the game. Accurately projecting where a Monday Night Football point spread will go from its opening number until the line closes at kick-off will only add positive expected value to your play whether you bet it the Tuesday prior or minutes before game time.

Generally speaking, stand-alone prime time games like MNF see plenty of support for the favorite ATS and the 'over' on the total, so if those are the sides you like, getting your bet down a few days before MNF is ideal. If you are leaning the other way, there is typically no harm in waiting until an hour or two before kick-off.

Finally, because these are stand alone games that generate national audiences, motivation plays a bigger role for some teams on MNF than others. Late in the year when teams know their playoff dreams have been dashed, a MNF game becomes like their "Super Bowl" knowing how many will be watching and they'll want to put forth their best effort. You don't have to look any further then Week 15 of the 2016 season for an example of this when the Carolina Panthers, the defending NFC Champions - stepped up as 7-point underdogs and beat Washington - a team still in the playoff race - handily from start to finish. 

Monday Night Football Props

Finally, because Monday Night Football is a stand alone game, plenty of prop bets are always offered no matter what sportsbook you play at. Betting on props is another way to get some action down on these contests if the side or total doesn't stand out to you, and some can be very lucrative. Handicapping individual matchups between the teams (a strong passing team vs. a weak passing offense for example) is more critical to success in props though. Taking wide receivers to go over their yardage totals in that example would be strong plays, but knowing which WR will have the big day adds a whole different element. In general prop bets (like with Super Bowl Props), should not be ones bettors "step out" on and make wagers because they are much more volatile and should be treated more like entertainment wagers.

Category : Online Betting News

Tag : Football , MNF , Monday Night Football , nfl

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