Sep 22, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) makes a catch and runs the ball against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images Mike McCarthy’s current employer learned of its elimination from NFC playoff contention hours before kickoff of Sunday Night Football.
Alas, McCarthy’s Dallas Cowboys edged the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to raise some heck in the NFC South race.
On Monday night, his former club, the Green Bay Packers, knows there’s much to play for. A victory against the visiting New Orleans Saints puts the Pack in the NFC postseason field.
That’s the driving narrative behind the penultimate “Monday Night Football” game of the season, which leads off today’s best bets. We also look at a game involving the Blueshirts (albeit on the road, where they wear white) and one contested on blue turf.
Here we go.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS
Yes, yes. It’s any given Sunday, Monday, Thursday, or Saturday in the NFL—and with holiday scheduling quirks of recent years, any given Wednesday or Friday, too.
But the Saints (5-9) are rather uniquely depleted against the Packers (10-4). New Orleans won’t have the services of quarterback Derek Carr, running back Alvin Kamara and multitalented Taysom Hill, to name a few, and its receiving corps and secondary also are dealing with injuries to significant pieces.
Green Bay counters with an intact attack that has scored at least 30 points in three of the past four games behind Jordan Love. By night’s end, there’ll be an “x” by Green Bay’s name in the standings to denote a playoff berth. Bet on it.
Packers -14, -110 (BetMGM)
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NEW YORK RANGERS AT NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Fans of these longtime rivals might embark on some last-minute Christmas shopping at the conclusion of this matinee.
The options offer more freedom than the defensive-minded Devils, who have limited six straight opponents below 20 shots on goal to match a club record set in 1998-99.
Visiting New Jersey blitzed New York 5-1 on Dec. 2 despite being outshot 39-28. The trend has followed since, with the Devils, second in the Metropolitan Division with 47 points, pushing to 14 points their cushion on the Rangers.
New York has lost six of nine since but has only been blanked once during that span. With New Jersey’s Jacob Markstrom coming off a Saturday shutout of Pittsburgh, expect more stinginess, just not perfection.
Devils to win and both teams score 1+ goals, +110 (BetMGM)
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FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
With would-be starting quarterbacks Ethan Hampton (Northern Illinois) and Mikey Keene (Fresno State) in the transfer portal, it might be easy to fancy this game named for spuds a dud.
However, a certain player prop adds spice—or chives or bacon bits, pending your preference—to the matchup considering those developments.
Sure, as the ESPN telecast rightly will flow with references to NIU’s early September upset of now-College Football Playoff quarterfinalist Notre Dame, the Huskies will aim to build a strong running game around QB Josh Holst. He’s a redshirt freshman who completed just 58% of his passes in limited action this season.
Cue Gavin Williams, who, with Telly Johnson, has helped keep the NIU ground game churning amid an injury to Antario Brown, who gashed Notre Dame for 225 yards of offense.
Williams scored touchdowns in three of the last four games to help the 7-5 Huskies rally to bowl eligibility. With Fresno State’s front seven also hit hard in the transfer portal, why not follow suit on the famed blue turf of Albertsons Stadium?
Gavin Williams anytime touchdown scorer, +105 (Caesars)
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