Chase A Payday With These Player Props

Commanders vs. Bengals, 8:15 ET

We don't always get a second game on Monday Night Football, but we do today. I'm not quite sure I know why other than maybe the league is trying to figure out if they get more viewers or something. The games are on simultaneously though, so the viewership component doesn't make a ton of sense at this time. However, either way, I like having a secondary option to bet on for this evening's games. In game two of the Monday Night Football slate we have the Commanders against the Bengals. 

There will be a lot of questions about this team for a few weeks. Are they good? They took down the Giants last week with a 21-18 victory, but they didn't score a touchdown in the process. Still, marching into field goal position seven times in a game is pretty impressive. The defense was able to stop Daniel Jones who looked like a very competent quarterback in yesterday's Giants game against the Browns. If you go back another week, they lost their first game 37-20 against the Buccaneers. Tampa was able to rack up 37 points against the defense and they made Baker Mayfield look like a Hall of Fame quarterback. The offense was competitive at least, getting 20 points and at least putting up a fight against a good enough Buccaneers defense. Jayden Daniels is still looking for his first passing touchdown of his career. In watching his two games, I feel like he is significantly more comfortable scrambling than going through his reads. The Bengals will allow for opportunities to run against them, but I'm guessing they will have a QB spy most of the game. If the Commanders want to compete in this one, Daniels needs to find a way to throw the ball to receivers. Cincinnati has shown they aren't the best secondary in the league, but they have to encourage Daniels to beat them through the air rather than on the ground.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - AUGUST 10: Head coach Dan Quinn of the Washington Commanders talks to Jayden Daniels #5 against the New York Jets in the first half of the preseason game against at MetLife Stadium on August 10, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Jets defeated the Commanders 20-17. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

I don't think we will be questioning the Bengals for long. After tonight, we probably will feel that they are actually a decent enough team and just had a slow start. Heck if they beat the Chiefs last week like they were very close to doing, Cincinnati would have a chance to be 2-1, instead of looking at the possibility of becoming 0-3 tonight. Joe Burrow has been fine so far, throwing for 422 yards and two touchdowns. He looked good against a strong Chiefs defense last week, but ultimately there was too much time left on the clock and an accurate but questionable enough call allowed the Chiefs to take the game. In their first game, they lost to the Patriots in a bit of an embarrassing result. They couldn't get much done on offense, racking up just 224 yards total and only 70 on the ground. The Commanders defense isn't the most impressive in the league and Burrow should be able to attack them through the air. I expect them to get Jamarr Chase involved heavily in this one. After two games, their best receiver and play maker is second on the team in targets, but he has hauled in 10 of the 11 he has seen. 

I am not quite sure that I want to back the Bengals to cover this big of a number, even in a game I think they should win. I also don't really want to take the Commanders on the road against a team that I had a bit higher in my original power rankings than the Buccaneers. The total seems like it is still probably too high for the a Commanders offense that looks a little shaky. Instead, I'm taking a player prop on Chase. I think Chase goes over 81.5 receiving yards tonight and scores a touchdown. I'll back him on both in this one.

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