We’ve got another Monday Night Football double-header on our hands in Week 7.
To kick things off, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) will visit the Detroit Lions (4-2) in a showdown of the NFC’s elite. Then, the Houston Texans (2-3) will take on the Seattle Seahawks (4-2) in an interconference matchup.
Below, I’ll dive into the latest betting odds and make my Monday Night Football predictions for both Week 7 matchups.
Updated MNF Odds Comparison
Oddsmakers are looking past Detroit’s 30-17 loss in Kansas City last week, as they have installed the Lions as home favorites of nearly a touchdown against the 5-1 Buccaneers. Both offenses rank among the league’s best, so it’s no surprise that this total is set at 52.5 points.
The late game should be lower-scoring, as the Seahawks and Texans boast two of the league’s best defenses. Seattle is favored by a field goal at home despite winning just one of its first three games at Lumen Field this campaign.
All NFL odds used for these Monday Night Football predictions are current as of Friday, Oct. 17, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
MNF Implied Scores & Team Totals
Lions 29, Buccaneers 23.5
The Lions are expected to defend home turf in what should be a high-scoring shootout.
Seahawks 22.25, Texans 19.25
Despite having an extra week to prepare, the Texans are projected to fall just short on the road.
Sportsbook Play of the Day
Monday Night Football Predictions
MNF Score Prediction: Lions 31, Buccaneers 28
The Buccaneers beat the Lions in Detroit last September, but I’m backing Dan Campbell’s squad to get some revenge on Monday night.
Tampa Bay has several injury issues on offense, with Chris Godwin Jr. (fibula) and Bucky Irving (shoulder/foot) likely to miss another week of action. Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) and Mike Evans (hamstring) are listed as questionable, but neither practiced on Friday.
That means Baker Mayfield could be without his top four playmakers for this matchup against a Lions defense that is also missing several starters.
While I expect Mayfield to enjoy some success regardless, Detroit is much healthier on offense, and Jared Goff’s unit tends to shred indoors at Ford Field.
MNF Score Prediction: Seahawks 20, Texans 13
I’m not taking much from the Texans’ recent offensive outbursts.
Before the bye, Houston hung 44 points on a Baltimore Ravens squad that was ravaged by injuries and blanked a pitiful Tennessee Titans team 26-0.
However, C.J. Stroud and the offense failed to reach the 20-point mark in each of their other three games, all against opponents closer to Seattle’s level.
I’ve been impressed with Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold thus far, and while this won’t be an easy matchup for him, I trust his offense more, especially at home.
Monday Night Football Bet Tips
Keep these bet tips and trends in mind before making your Monday Night Football bets.
- Overs are 4-2 in Tampa Bay’s games and 3-3 in Detroit’s games this season.
- Seattle is 4-2 against the spread, while Houston has a 2-3 ATS record.
- Unders are 4-1 in Texans’ games and 3-3 in Seahawks’ contests.
Monday Night Football Best Bets
MNF Over/Under Pick: Texans @ Seahawks Under 41.5 Points (-115)
We’ve got two of the best defenses in the NFL doing battle on Monday night against two offenses that aren’t exactly lighting it up.
Both teams have tremendous corners that should be able to slow down the opposition’s star wideouts, and neither offense has had much success running the ball this season.
Ride with the Under as one of your best NFL bets today.
MNF Pick Against the Spread: Lions -5.5 (-115) vs Buccaneers
Fading the Buccaneers hasn’t gone well this season, but backing the Lions to cover the spread at home is usually a good idea.
Tampa Bay can’t continue to win one-possession games at this rate, and I think their injury issues take their toll on Monday night.
Monday Night Football Prop Bet
MNF Prop Bet: Nick Chubb: Under 34.5 Rushing Yards (-110)
The Seahawks have one of the best rush defenses in the NFL, allowing 79 yards per game on the ground.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, Seattle has allowed just one rusher to eclipse 50 yards in a game this season. That was 49ers star Christian McCaffrey in Week 1, and he needed 22 carries to gain 69 yards.
While Chubb has gone over this mark in every game this season, his role in the offense is diminishing. He has been losing snaps to backup Woody Marks, who out-snapped him in each of the two games before the bye.
Since the Texans are underdogs in this spot, I could see them having to rely more on Stroud, which would help this Under hit.
Monday Night Football Parlay
Best MNF Parlay (+116)
- Lions (-285) vs Buccaneers
- Seahawks (-166) vs Texans
Sometimes, you have to keep it simple.
In lieu of a same-game parlay for either MNF matchup, I’ll take the two home teams to win on the moneyline.
I feel better about backing Detroit without having to account for any margin of victory, and Seattle should take us home against a Texans team with two wins over bottom-barrel competition.
