Our Monday night football bets feature the LA Rams as a traveling favorite over the suddenly surging Falcons, a team that has strung together a modest two-game winning streak. In this Week 17 finale, we see a sharp side and a solid player prop in our Monday night NFL picks.
The Rams dropped a heartbreaking 38-37 decision to their NFC West rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, in a game LA had in the bag. The Seahawks were seemingly out of it, and many who bet on the Rams were already counting their money.
But a strange sequence of events unfolded, and Seattle rallied from a 16-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter to win the game by a point in overtime. The Rams are now 11-4 straight up and against the spread entering this Monday night matchup.
Atlanta has won and covered their last two games, including last week’s 26-19 win over the Cardinals in the desert. Bijan Robinson continues to be the Falcons’ most lethal weapon, as evidenced by his 76 rushing yards (4.8 yards per carry average) and seven receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown.
Let’s explore this MNF matchup and find out which side is the sharp side among the NFL odds.
Best Bets for Los Angeles Rams vs. Atlanta Falcons
Our best bets for Monday night are focused on this NFC battle between the Rams and the Falcons.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rams are still talking to themselves after last week’s bizarre and excruciating overtime loss to the Seahawks. MVP favorite Matthew Stafford had another stellar performance, throwing for 457 yards and three touchdowns in defeat.
Kirk Cousins, who has replaced the injured Michael Penix (ACL), has acquitted himself quite nicely over the last two games, which, not surprisingly, have both been victories. In those performances, Cousins has tossed for 570 yards and five touchdowns combined against the Bucs and Cardinals.
Monday Night Odds (Falcons +8)
Early in the week, the oddsmakers installed the Rams as 8.5-point road favorites; however, the NFL odds have revealed a slight flurry of action on the home underdogs as the line has dropped half a click to LA -8 at most sportsbooks.
This is not a significant development, as eight is not generally regarded as an important number, although it has become more noteworthy in the two-point conversion era, which is used much more frequently in recent years.
With that said, we noted that BetMGM has dropped its line to LA -8 with a slightly lower vig than all of the rest.
Monday Night Picks (Rams -8)
According to the gaming model, the Rams are predicted to defeat the Falcons, 28-20, which means everyone betting on the road chalk or the home hound will get a push. Well, that certainly cuts down on the paperwork, but I don’t see it happening.
Some bettors may be bullish on the resurrected Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons due to their recent two-game winning streak after looking so dreadful throughout much of the season. However, I would warn anyone who will listen that those wins against the Bucs and Cardinals were against lousy pass defenses.
Conversely, the Rams boast a ferocious pass rush that will make Cousins think twice about biding his time in the pocket. Fortunately, he has decent protection, but he will have to master a quick release, which means Bijan Robinson should see his fair share of targets as an outlet receiver over the middle.
Davante Adams is arguably the best red-zone receiver in the game, but he was sidelined last week with a hamstring injury and is questionable for this Monday night matchup with the Falcons. However, that didn’t stop Matthew Stafford from eviscerating the Seattle secondary using the otherworldly Puka Nacua.
The Falcons don’t pose half the threat that the Seahawks’ defense does, and if you want my case for laying the lumber on the Rams, read below:
- Rams’ offense ranked No. 1 in total yards (397.7)
- Rams’ offense ranked No. 1 in yards per play (6.6)
- Rams’ offense ranked No. 5 in rushing yards (126.3)
- Rams’ offense ranked No. 2 in passing yards (270.5)
- Rams’ offense ranked No. 2 in yards per completion (11.9)
- Rams’ offense ranked No. 1 in QB rating (110.9)
- Rams’ offense ranked No. 1 in scoring (30.5)
The Falcons do not have a defense equipped to handle this LA juggernaut, nor is their offense prolific enough to stand and trade. The NFL odds have dropped just a bit on the Rams, so we will take what we can get and lay it on the road chalk in this one.
Expert Pick: Rams -8 (-110) at BetMGM
Falcons’ Bijan Robinson (Over 42.5 Receiving Yards)
If we take a look at the player prop page, we can see that there are plenty of opportunities, but after reviewing the Rams vs. Falcons, we will focus our attention on Falcons tailback Bijan Robinson.
As stated above, Kirk Cousins will need to look quickly for his receivers, and it only makes sense to see Bijan Robinson, a running back noted for his catching abilities as well as his game-breaking speed, be the recipient of those targets.
Expert Pick: Bijan Robinson Over 42 ½ Receiving Yards (-114) at BetMGM
Place Your MNF Bets & How to Bet Smart This Week
The lines on my Monday night football picks, posted today for Los Angeles vs. Atlanta, and the Bijan Robinson player prop will not remain stagnant forever. Odds, point spreads, totals, and player props are dynamic, which means the moneylines and point spreads you see here may not be around by gametime.
Therefore, it is important that you get the sharpest line available, and the only way to do that is to get down immediately on the games and make sure you have an active account.
That’s right, make certain your account is funded, and perhaps get accounts at two or more sportsbooks so you can compare the numbers. Make sure to get down at a place you trust and at the best lines or odds available.
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.