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Best Monday Night Football Bets for Ravens vs. Bucs, Chargers vs. Cardinals (Target Zay Flowers, J.K. Dobbins)

There's another doubleheader on tap for Monday Night Football. Here are four best bets to consider.

By Shelby Dermer

Oct 6, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (4) celebrates the team’s touchdown during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Oct 6, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (4) celebrates the team’s touchdown during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
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Sports bettors will be treated to another twin bill on Monday Night Football with a pair of cross-conference clashes.

The Baltimore Ravens are 3.5-point road favorites over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the total of the game sitting at 49.5. In the desert, the Arizona Cardinals are 2-point home underdogs to the Los Angeles Chargers with a total of 44.

Here are two bets to consider from each matchup.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Best Monday Night Football Bets for Ravens vs. Bucs, Chargers vs. Cardinals

  • Ravens-Buccaneers OVER 49.5
  • Zay Flowers OVER 59.5 Receiving Yards 
  • Arizona Cardinals Team Total UNDER 21.5 Points
  • J.K. Dobbins OVER 71.5 Rushing Yards 

Ravens-Buccaneers OVER 49.5 (-108)

We’re going to attack this total before it gets into the 50s near kickoff. These are two of the top-5 offenses in the NFL with Tampa Bay ranked second in scoring (29.7 points per game) and Baltimore (29.5) not far behind. 

These offenses are not only top-5 in scoring, but they’ve marched the ball down the field all season with the Ravens ranking No. 1 in the league in yards per play (6.9) and Tampa Bay ranking sixth (6.1). 

You have two great offenses in this matchup and the defenses have been average at best. Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield have ample opportunities against these units. The Ravens are 31st in the NFL against the pass and Tampa Bay ranks 28th. There are too many ingredients for a shootout to avoid going to the total between two teams that have combined to go 9-3 to the over this season. 

Zay Flowers OVER 59.5 Receiving Yards (-115)

With run-stuffing nose tackle Vita Vea in the lineup, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have not allowed a running back to go over 84 yards this season. Derrick Henry’s rushing yardage prop is 83.5, but we’re focused on the Baltimore passing attack with Jackson putting up MVP numbers so far through six games.

Second-year receiver Zay Flowers is turning into a quality No. 1 option for Jackson and the Ravens have looked his way a ton in recent weeks. After getting just one catch on two targets in Baltimore’s lopsided win over Buffalo, Flowers has recorded back-to-back 100-yard games, combining for 16 catches and 243 yards. Over the last five weeks, the game script in Baltimore’s wins over Buffalo and Dallas caused Flowers to have a quiet night. In competitive matchups, he’s been fantastic and we’ll target him against a subpar Tampa Bay secondary. 

Arizona Cardinals Team Total UNDER 21.5 Points (-112)

From a shootout in the Sunshine State to what should be a low-scoring affair in Arizona. The Cardinals’ offense has lacked any consistency this season and ranks 27th in the NFL in total yards. 

Arizona has had the benefit of a few special teams touchdowns to inflate its scoring, but the Cardinals’ offense has scored 21-plus points just once this season, against a depleted LA Rams squad in Week 2. On Monday, Arizona will welcome in the league’s No. 1 scoring defense in the Chargers, a squad giving up just 13.2 points a contest. 

LA can dominate the trenches in this matchup with its running game and control the clock. Arizona’s defense is in the bottom half of the league against the pass (22nd) and the run (28th) and ranks dead last on third down. 

Meanwhile, Arizona’s offense - whether Marvin Harrison Jr. (concussion) plays or not - could be stuck in the mud against a physical Chargers defense that is top-10 in the league against the run and the pass. Arizona has had its chances to put up big numbers against bad defenses and have failed. They’ll struggle on Monday. 

J.K. Dobbins OVER 71.5 Rushing Yards (-115)

Like the two Buccaneers-Ravens picks, you’ll want to get in on this bet before the number gets inflated closer to kickoff.

We mentioned the Arizona defense being brutal against the run this season which is exactly what the Chargers want to do. Arizona is No. 27 in the NFL in run-stop win rate (dead last against the pass) and that’s music to Dobbins’ ears as he’ll be the featured back with a great chance for a big night. 

Dobbins’ resurgence was a key part of the Chargers’ 2-0 start after he recorded back-to-back 100-yard games. He then had three tough assignments against quality defenses (Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Denver) and may have been forgotten about with a bye week sprinkled in there, as well. In losses to the Chiefs and Steelers, Dobbins combined for just 76 yards on 29 attempts. He bounced back in Denver last week. Despite averaging just 3.8 yards per carry, he still received 25 carries and finished just shy of his third 100-yard game of the year. 

In LA’s three wins this season, Dobbins is averaging 120.6 rushing yards per game. The Chargers are short favorites in this matchup but have the offensive advantage against a defense struggling to contain the ground game. Target Dobbins with confidence. 

Game odds update periodically and are subject to change. 

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