Week 14 Monday Night Football: New England Patriots at Arizona Cardinals Betting & DFS Preview
We got a great game on Monday Night Football last week. Or at least a great finish as Tom Brady led an improbable comeback victory over the Saints, potentially saving the Bucs’ season. This week we get Tom Brady’s old team the New England Patriots (6-6) traveling to the desert to take on the Arizona Cardinals (4-8). The Pats will look to climb back into the AFC playoff picture while a lot of people around the Cardinals’ organization will look to try to save their jobs in this one.
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Week 14 NFL Best Bets
The Patriots are a team that is far from what they once were in their championship glory days. The main reason being the offense. The quarterback is bad, the pass-catchers are worse, and they have Rhamondre Stevenson out there trying to put the whole offense on his back every week. However, they are still well-coached, have an excellent defense, and they tend to beat the teams they are supposed to beat. The Cardinals are a team the Patriots should beat.
Arizona over the past few seasons even until about halfway through last year looked like a team that was destined to compete in the NFC for years to come. The bottom has since fallen completely out on this team. It seems to start at the top with the front office and blatantly poor coaching. Kyler Murray hasn’t exactly been the face of the franchise they were hoping for either. Issues between the QB and franchise, a star receiver testing positive for PEDs, and a defense that seemly forgot how to tackle have tanked this team.
At 4-8, the Cardinals have not been good, but they’ve been particularly bad at home going just 1-6. This game will of course be a home game for them. That doesn’t appear to bode well for the likelihood of their winning this game. Nonetheless, the Pats are far from a world-beater. Arizona has the weapons to score on anybody and Mac Jones lacks the talent so he can be shut down by anybody any given week.
Because of that, while the Patriots should win this game you shouldn’t chalk it up as a lock. This isn’t as easy a pick as it looks on paper. However, the smart money is still on New England take this one. Especially with the spread being smaller than we had anticipated. Hopefully, it stays right where it’s at leading up to game time.
The Pick: New England Patriots -2 (-110)
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DFS Showdown: Most Intriguing Plays
We will be giving you insight into the most intriguing players this week on MNF. You generally won’t see superstars in this section. All prices are based on Draft Kings.
Greg Dortch, Arizona Cardinals $3,300
At this price, Dortch has to be in your lineup. Whenever Rondale Moore is out, which he will be on Monday Night Football, Dortch has been PPR gold. Last game, when Moore left on the first drive Dortch caught nine of 10 targets for over 100 yards. He has been a PPR standout every time Moore has been injured. The only concern here is that Arizona will now have both Hollywood Brown and DeAndre Hopkins fully healthy and on the field. A dynamic Dortch hasn’t had to deal with yet this season. However, the absence of Zach Ertz should help elevate some of that risk.
Tyquan Thornton, New England Patriots $2,100
Thronton was a standout rookie in camp this year before succumbing to injury and missing the beginning of the season. He has shown some flashes since returning including a multi-TD game. With Jakobi Meyers suffering an in-game concussion last week, Thorton led the Pats in receiving, excluding defensive back Marcus Jones who is not available on this slate. At such a low price you are probably better off taking a shot on the rookie rather than paying more than quadruple the price for DeVante Parker or Kendrick Bourne.
Jonnu Smith New England Patriots $4,500
Hunter Henry seemed to get the target bump once Meyers went down last week. However, Smith is almost $4,000 cheaper and has every chance to see just as large of a bump this week. If you are looking to add a tight end in this game, saving money on a guy like Smith will allow you to pay up for the must-starts like Hopkins and Stevenson. The Cardinals are also horrific against tight ends this season, allowing the most receptions, yards, and TDs to the position. The only reason they’re second in fantasy points allowed to tight ends is because Tayson Hill decimated the Seahawks one week.
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