Each week, TheLines will provide a betting breakdown and analysis for the upcoming Monday Night Football game. We will look at the odds and see why they’re moving a certain way, along with breaking down the matchup and providing the week’s best prop bets. The New York Jets will host the Buffalo Bills in the 2023 MNF opener on Monday, September 11. Here we will look at MNF betting odds for this game and see why they’re moving a certain way, along with breaking down the matchup and providing the week’s best prop bets.
Get all of your betting information for Monday Night Football below.
MNF betting odds
Buffalo Bills () at New York Jets ()
The AFC East is absolutely stacked this year with all four teams expected to be highly competitive. Buffalo, the class of the division for several years now, is once again projected to win the division as Josh Allen and friends have +115 odds. The Jets are also firmly in the mix with Aaron Rodgers now in New York. Gang Green is +280 to take the division.
This Monday Night opener pits the two division rivals against one another. MNF betting odds had the Bills as -3 road favorites initially. That was quickly bet down to Bills -1.5. The MNF spread is now Bills .
MNF prop search tool
Looking for MNF betting odds for props? Use our prop search tool to find the best odds across legal sportsbooks in the US.
Buffalo Bills versus New York Jets betting news
The Jets agreed to a trade with the Packers on Monday to acquire four-time NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, according to multiple reports.
New York is swapping the No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft with the Packers’ No. 15 overall while giving up No. 42 overall (second round), No. 207 overall (sixth round), and a conditional 2024 second-rounder, and the Packers are giving the Jets a 2023 fifth-rounder (No. 170 overall), per multiple reports. The 2024 second-rounder will become a first-rounder if Rodgers plays 65 percent of the plays next season.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Bills are signing former New England Patriots back Damien Harris.
Injuries limited Harris to 462 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in 2022, but he had 929 yards and 15 touchdowns just a year prior. Harris joins a running back room with second-year back James Cook and Nyheim Hines. The 26-year-old has a chance to provide the Bills with the short-yardage running back they've been missing.
The New York Jets are finalizing a four-year, $44 million deal with former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday.
Lazard, 27, is coming off a career-best season with 60 receptions for 788 yards and six touchdowns in 2022. This move comes with the Jets being rumored to have significant interest in acquiring Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. New York has moved to the seventh lowest odds to win the Super Bowl on FanDuel Sportsbook (+1500).
A seat in the AFC Championship Game is within reach for the Bengals, who lead the Bills 27-10 at the two minute warning. BUF +16.5 (+140), +1600 ML.
Live odds:
Time's ticking for the Bills, but Josh Allen & Co. get the ball back down 27-10.
The Bills failed to convert a fourth down with under eight minutes to go in the game. The Bengals (-16.5) take over at their own 16 yard line.
Josh Allen was crunched between two defenders, Mike Hilton and DJ Reader. He took another minute to get up and the play is under review to determine whether it was a fumble or incompletion.
A 32-yard gain in the fourth quarter pushed TE Dawson Knox over his receiving yardage prop, 37.5 (-130).
Down 17 with 11:00 to go in the game, the Bills live ML is at +1200.
Bills corner Tre'Davious White and safety Jordan Poyer were attended to by trainers after colliding with each other on a third down incompletion. White was flagged for a pass interference on the play, moving the chains for the driving Bengals.
Both players went to the locker room.
Bills vs. Jets game matchup
The Jets were 8-9 against the spread last season. Buffalo went 8-9-1 ATS.
How to watch Monday Night Football
ESPN holds the rights to Monday Night Football and will broadcast MNF games from Week 1 through Week 17.
Games can be streamed on the go on ESPN’s website or WatchESPN app with a cable or satellite subscription. Streaming services such as Sling TV also carry ESPN in many of their subscription packages.
MNF betting tips
How to bet MNF like a sharp
Monday Night Football can be the most highly-anticipated game of any given week in the NFL throughout the season. The extra day of preparation, media coverage and overall hype brings more attention to every aspect of the game.
The extra day of rest can allow players to return from injury, but they may also be forcing themselves back to the field before they’re truly healthy due to the added attention on the game. Look at injury reports and have an idea of what kind of a role a star player will be able to handle.
The Monday Night spot can also create discrepancies in how much rest the two teams have had. Taking the most rested team (the one with the longest amount of time since its last game) can often be a good place to find some value at the sportsbooks, especially on the spread.
Never bet a game solely because it’s the final matchup of the week and is the best thing to watch on a Monday Night. Be ready to sit it out completely and wait for next week if there’s no value popping out at books.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Monday Night Football start?
The 2023 Monday Night Football slate starts on Monday, Sept. 11 with the Bills facing the Jets at MetLife Stadium.
ESPN broadcast two Monday Night Football games in Week 1 for many years but that has changed in recent years. This year ESPN/ABC will get two separate double-header nights. The first double-header will take place in Week 2 with the Saints facing the Panthers on ESPN and then the Browns facing the Steelers on ABC. The second double-header will take place the following Monday as the Eagles will face the Buccaneers on ABC and the Rams will meet the Bengals on ESPN. Those early games will have a start time of 7:15 p.m. ET and the “nightcap” will start at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Every other MNF game from Week 3 through Week 17 of the 2022 season will begin at 8:15 p.m. Eastern.
How to stream Monday Night Football?
The ESPN website and WatchESPN app are the easiest options for those with cable or satellite subscriptions. Many streaming services such as Sling TV, PlayStation Vue and Hulu include ESPN in most of their plans.
What is the highest-scoring Monday Night Football game ever?
The Rams’ 54-51 victory over the Chiefs in Week 11 of the 2018 season was the highest-scoring MNF game of all time. The 105 combined points topped the 95 points scored by the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins in 1983.
Who are the MNF announcers?
ESPN and Monday Night Football went all out in 2022 as they swiped Joe Buck and Troy Aikman from FOX. Since NBC got the broadcast rights to Sunday Night Football back in 2006, MNF lost a bit of its luster as the primary showcase of the league’s “game of the week.”
The NFL clearly rewarded ESPN for going big, though, as it gets arguably the most anticipated game of the regular season right out of the gate. Aaron Rodgers’ Jets debut in Week 1 will surely be one of the highest rated and most bet-on sporting events of the year.
Steve Levy, who was the play-by-play man for MNF prior to Buck’s arrival, will now be the “B-team” announcer for ESPN. He will be joined by Louis Riddick and Dan Orlovsky.
Who was the original Monday Night Football broadcast crew?
The original MNF broadcast crew on ABC in 1970 was made up of Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell and Don Meredith. Many cycled through the crew before Al Michaels took over as play-by-play commentator from 1986 through 2005. His color analysts included Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf, Boomer Esiason, Dan Fouts, Dennis Miller and John Madden. Mike Tirico assumed play-by-play duties with Tony Kornheiser, Joe Theismann, Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya filling out the crew when ESPN took over the rights in 2006. Jon Gruden replaced Kornheiser in 2009 until he returned to the sidelines as head coach of the Raiders.