Monday Night Football Betting Picks Atlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles Predictions

The Philadelphia Eagles figure to be well rested when they hit the "Monday Night Football" stage to oppose the Atlanta Falcons because they played their season opener 10 days earlier in Brazil. 

Philadelphia defeated the Green Bay Packers 34-29 on South American soil and now has a primetime date in Week 2 with Kirk Cousins for the third straight season. The Eagles won both those games when Cousins was with the Minnesota Vikings—24-7 on a Monday night in 2022 and 34-28 on a Thursday night last year.

The Falcons dropped their 2024 opener 18-10 to the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers.

Now let's look at three betting predictions for the big game.

MAKING IT HURTS

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns in the opener. However, he had ball-protection issues, throwing two interceptions and fumbling twice, losing one.

It's reasonable to think Hurts succumbed to Week 1 rustiness and will be improved in all facets on Monday. That includes running the ball; he averaged just 2.5 yards per attempt while gaining 33 yards on the ground against Green Bay.

Hurts fared well in his lone career start against the Falcons in the 2021 season opener, passing for 264 yards and three touchdowns and averaging 8.9 yards per carry in a 32-6 victory. Last week, Atlanta didn't allow a touchdown in its season opener but couldn't get off the field as Pittsburgh possessed the ball for 35 minutes, 36 seconds.

The Falcons are adjusting to new head coach Raheem Morris, so a second straight loss won't be a surprise. In fact, book it; Philadelphia will win by double digits. 

Eagles -5.5 spread, -112 (DraftKings)

BIG-MONEY COUSINS

Cousins received a $180 million contract to jump from the Vikings to the Falcons, and big things are expected. That's a huge investment on a 36-year-old who tore his right Achilles tendon in Minnesota's eighth game last season.

Cousins was not sharp in his Atlanta debut, getting intercepted twice while completing 16 of 26 passes for 155 yards and one touchdown. Last season, Cousins passed for 364 yards and four TDs against the Eagles, but in 2022, he was intercepted three times while throwing for 221 yards and one score.

Cousins is still learning his receivers at a time in which new Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is molding his unit to his liking. Fangio is in his 21st season coordinating a defense, and one of his tasks is getting first-round draft pick Quinyon Mitchell to be an immediate hit at cornerback.

Zack Baun had two sacks in Philadelphia's opener, while Cousins went down twice vs. Pittsburgh as the Falcons worked exclusively out of the shotgun (presumably to help Cousins in his comeback from the Achilles injury). Cousins' longest completion was just 20 yards against the Steelers, and we see him again having trouble nailing downfield throws against the Eagles.

Kirk Cousins under 224.5 yards, +113 (FanDuel)

IT'S A BROWNOUT FOR EAGLES

Philadelphia standout receiver A.J. Brown will miss the game due to a hamstring injury. Brown popped up on the injury list Friday as questionable and was ruled out Sunday.

That's a big blow for the Eagles after Brown had five catches for 119 yards and a touchdown against Green Bay. Brown caught 106 passes last season and exceeded 1,400 receiving yards in each of his two full seasons with Philadelphia.

Look for the Eagles to rely on their new toy, running back Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries and caught two passes for 23 yards and another score in his team debut. Barkley looks rejuvenated after six seasons with the New York Giants.

Atlanta did well to hold the Steelers without a touchdown, but we see issues for the Falcons' defense in this contest.

Over 46 points, -108 (DraftKings)