Monday Night Football is a weekly professional football broadcast that is nationally televised on ESPN. The broadcast began on ABC in 1970 before switching to ESPN in 2005.
Besides the United States, Monday Night Football is shown in Canada, England, Denmark, Australia, Portugal, Brazil and Latin America. Though Monday Night Football’s ratings dropped significantly in 2017, it was still one of the most popular television shows in America.
Current Broadcast Team
The Monday night broadcast booth will undergo big changes in 2018. Joe Tessitore will be the new play-by-play man, replacing Sean McDonough, who took over for Mike Tirico prior to the 2016 season but is returning to ESPN’s college football coverage. Tessitore, 47, previously called college football, college basketball, boxing and horse racing.
This will be his first season as a regular NFL play-by-play man. Also departed is commentator Jon Gruden, who was hired as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders after nine years in the booth. Taking his place is legendary Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, who officially retired in May.
Trends and Stats
Most Monday Night Football Appearances
1. Miami – 84
2. Dallas – 79
3. San Francisco — 73
Most Wins
1. San Francisco – 48
2. Dallas – 46
3. Pittsburgh – 45
Most Losses
T-1. Miami and Washington – 42
T-3. Denver, Chicago and NY Giants – 38
Highest Win Percentage
1. Seattle — .719 (23-9)
2. San Francisco — .658 (48-25)
3. Pittsburgh — .652 (45-24)
Lowest Win Percentage
1. Cincinnati — .314 (11-24)
2. Houston Texans — .333 (4-8)
3. Atlanta — .341 (14-27)
Active Passing Yards Leaders
1. Drew Brees – 6,313
2. Tom Brady – 6,086
3. Eli Manning – 4,741
Active Rushing Yards Leaders
1. Frank Gore – 1,176
2. Chris Johnson – 779
3. LeSean McCoy – 719
Active Receiving Yards Leaders
1. Brandon Marshall – 1,425
2. DeSean Jackson – 1,180
3. Antonio Gates — 968
Betting Stats
Wins Against the Spread
1. San Francisco – 48
2. Pittsburgh – 40
T-3. Miami, Dallas, LA/Oakland Raiders – 39
Losses Against the Spread
1. Miami – 43
2. Denver – 42
T-3. Dallas and Washington – 39
Highest Win Percentage Against the Spread
1. San Francisco — .658 (48-24-1)
2. Seattle — .625 (20-10-2)
3. Baltimore Ravens – .609 (14-8-1)
Lowest Win Percentage Against the Spread
1. Houston Texans — .250 (3-9-0)
2. Arizona/Phoenix/St. Louis Cardinals — .269 (7-17-2)
3. Denver — .338 (24-42-5)
Most Games “Over”
1. Miami – 54
2. Dallas – 49
3. San Francisco – 40
Most Games “Under”
1. San Francisco – 33
2. NY Giants – 32
T-3. Denver, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia – 31
Highest “Over” Percentage (O-U)
1. Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts — .725 (29-11)
2. Cincinnati — .686 (24-11)
3. Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams — .655 (38-20)
Highest “Under” Percentage (O-U)
1. Seattle — .594 (13-19)
2. Houston Texans — .583 (5-7)
3. Arizona/Phoenix/St. Louis Cardinals — .539 (12-14)
Week 16 Monday Night Football Breakdown
Denver Broncos (6-8, 6-7-1 ATS) at Oakland Raiders (3-11, 5-9 ATS)
Line: Denver -3
O/U: 45
The situation doesn’t stack up for ESPN to snag good ratings for the final edition of Monday Night Football this season. It’s Christmas Eve and a matchup of two teams that have a great rivalry, but are eliminated from playoff contention. However, there are a few reasons to tune in between church and gift-wrapping. For one thing, this very well could be the Raiders’ final game in Oakland if they find a temporary home next year before moving to Las Vegas. For another, it’s possible a fantasy football championship could be decided on the legs of Phillip Lindsay or the arm of Derek Carr. But the best reason to tune in? If you’ve got a little action on the game. Let’s discuss.
Denver Broncos
Denver had a fairly clear path to the playoffs up until the past two weeks, when they lost consecutive games to the 49ers and Browns to knock themselves out. Case Keenum has done a decent job manning the quarterback position, but it still feels like the Broncos haven’t figured that situation out, meaning even a solid defensive and a competitive running game haven’t been enough in a tough division. But the Broncos would like nothing more than to rub their rivals’ faces in the dirt one last time in Oakland.
Oakland Raiders
For as nightmarish as the Raiders’ first season under Jon Gruden has been, they have shown a few signs of life in the past month, beating the Steelers and avoiding the blowout losses that plagued the season’s first half. Derek Carr hasn’t thrown an interception in months, and the passing offense — even without Amari Cooper — has been decent. The Raiders can’t stop a nosebleed, however, and they can’t expect to beat Denver’s sturdy defense in a shootout.
Pick
Denver is the better team, clearly, but the emotion all points to Oakland in this one. The Raiders, even to the detriment of their draft position, have been playing better lately, and they’ll have an emotional home crowd on hand for what could be the final NFL game in the East Bay, at least for a long time. The fans, even though some feel jilted by the team’s move to Las Vegas, should come out and cheer for one more victory over the Broncos in this one. Consider an outright upset pick on the money line, but at least take Oakland and the field goal.
RAIDERS +3
OVER 45
2018 Monday Night Football Schedule
Week 1 – Mon. Sep. 10, New York Jets at Detroit Lions, 7:10 p.m. ET
Week 1 – Mon. Sep. 10, Los Angeles Rams at Oakland Raiders, 10:20 p.m. ET
Week 2 – Mon. Sep. 17, Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 3 – Mon. Sep. 24, Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 4 – Mon. Oct. 1, Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 5 – Mon. Oct. 8, Washington Redskins at New Orleans Saints, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 6 – Mon. Oct. 15, San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 7 – Mon. Oct. 22, New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 8 – Mon. Oct. 29, New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 9 – Mon. Nov. 5, Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 10 – Mon. Nov. 12, New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 11 – Mon. Nov. 19, Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 12 – Mon. Nov. 26, Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 13 – Mon, Dec. 3, Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 14 – Mon. Dec. 10, Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 15 – Mon. Dec. 17, New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 16 – Mon. Dec. 24, Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders, 8:15 p.m. ET