David John says Jamaal Charles can make an immediate impact for his new team Denver on Monday night in the NFL.
New Orleans at Minnesota (Tuesday 0010BST, Sky Sports Main Event)
Minnesota is the destination for this season’s Super Bowl and it opens up Monday Night Football as well.
The Vikings and the Saints may not be the most obvious candidates for some week one prime time coverage but a national audience want to see one thing – Adrian Peterson’s homecoming.
Perhaps the most destructive running back of the last decade, who went through the 2,000-yard barrier for a single season in 2012 as one of his umpteen accomplishments, Peterson is certainly in the twilight of his career at 32.
New Orleans have given him what you would consider one last opportunity following rehab from another serious knee issue and a chance to start out in the city where he played for 10 seasons.
Peterson is an 11/8 chance to score a touchdown at some stage which is probably a bet for the romantics – new head coach Sean Payton has been impressed by his work in training camp but I’d wager a reasonable amount his former team-mates are hell-bent on making his night as anonymous as possible.
The bet I do quite like though is going under the home side’s total points with the line set at 26.5.
One of Minnesota’s problems last season after a 5-0 start was a misfiring offense that saw them limp home to an 8-8 overall record as the wheels came off for quarterback Sam Bradford thanks to a porous line in front of him and a non-existent running game.
The noises coming out of the team this time around are much more positive with Bradford having more of a handle on Pat Shurmur’s playbook to go with expensive free agent additions to the offensive line (Riley Rieff and Mike Remmers) and the drafting of explosive running back Dalvin Cook.
It may take a little bit of time to all gel together though and just three points from 12 drives during pre-season with Bradford sacked five times is a concern at the moment.
The visiting defense is on an upward curve and in position to improve drastically on last year so it is worth taking on a Minnesota outfit that averaged 20.4 points per game in 2016 and managed to cover the above line just three times.
Prediction: New Orleans 21-20 Minnesota
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver (Tuesday 0320BST, Sky Sports Action)
History will be made in Colorado as two African-American head coaches make their NFL rookie debuts in the same game for the first time.
Vance Joseph (Denver) and Anthony Lynn (Los Angeles) will begin their competitive careers in the AFC West with a few butterflies to go with slightly lower expectations in the division behind Oakland and Kansas City – the latter having knocked off New England in convincing style last Thursday.
The Broncos will lean heavily once more on a very strong defense while quarterback Trevor Siemian on the other side of the ball continues his development having won the starting role over the summer.
There are no such issues for opposite number Philip Rivers, who retains an extremely tough edge despite being well into his 30s and an improved cast to work alongside has made the Chargers a bit of a dark-horse selection in some quarters.
They will have to adjust to their move from San Diego – Rivers will apparently commute daily – but Lynn and his team seem in quite good shape to make a push for the post-season if the injury bug does not bite as hard compared to 2016.
The latter issue can scupper the hopes in a flash of any team and one player who has suffered more than most is former Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles.
He has earned himself a place on Denver’s roster this summer after getting back to full health following a serious knee issue and just might be worth a chance to make an immediate impression for his new team with a touchdown.
Denver offensive co-ordinator Mike McCoy (ironically the Chargers’ head coach until being fired in January) has said Charles will be used sparingly with around 8-12 touches per game while his knee is monitored closely.
I would wager those touches – including utilising his superb ability to catch the ball out of the backfield – will be deployed where he can be most effective as the former University of Texas standout has a real nose for the end zone.
Prediction: Los Angeles 22-26 Denver
Recommended bets:
Click here for our transparent tipping record
Posted at 1710 BST on 10/09/17.
Related links