NFL Week 1 Monday Night Football Previews
With Week 1 of the 2013-14 NFL Season almost over, there is no doubt that American football fans across the United States and Canada are congregating around water coolers to discuss how well or poorly their teams kicked off the new season.
That is, except for fans of the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Redskins, the Houston Texans and the San Diego Chargers, who can look forward to watching their teams compete tonight in two back-to-back Monday Night Football matchups - Philadelphia vs Washington and Houston vs San Diego.
Eagles vs Redskins Week 1 Preview
In the first Monday Night matchup, the Philadelphia Eagles are on the road against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field, where they'll start as the 3.5 point betting underdogs to the home team. This is not surprising considering last season the Redskins ended the regular season top of their NFC East Division with 10-6 while the Eagles ended last in the division with a dismal 4-12.
While the Redskins will do everything in their power to ensure they end up on top of the heap again this year (and progress much farther in the playoffs then they did last year), the Eagles will be eager to see if new head coach Chip Kelly can turn the team's fortunes around, after former coach Andy Reid was unceremoniously fired after the team's worst performance in his 13-year tenure.
Kelly will have to contend with his respected counterpart Mike Shanahan, who comes into tonight's game with a very enviable all-time Week 1 win record of 15-4 as head coach of the Redskins. Plus, if he pulls off a victory tonight, he will tie legendary coach Tom Landry for the most ever Week 1 wins since the American League and the National League merged way back in 1970.
So it goes without saying that there is a lot at stakes for both teams and their respective coaches this evening. From a betting perspective, top online sportsbook Bodog has the latest match odds:
Philadelphia Eagles vs Washington Redskins Odds
| Team | Point Spread | Money Line | Total |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +3.5 (1.95) | 2.65 | 52.5 (1.95)o |
| Washington Redskins | -3.5 (1.87) | 1.53 | (1.87)u |
Houston vs San Diego Week 1 Preview
In the second Monday Night Football matchup, the San Diego Chargers will host the Houston Texans at Qualcomm Stadium in what could prove to be an extremely tough match for the home team. Where the Chargers finished second in the AFC West Division with a lack-luster record of 7-9, their rivals finished first in the AFC South Division with a 12-4 record, to progress to the second round of the NFL playoffs.
And even though they were stopped in their tracks by the New England Patriots, the Texans showed they have the potential to reach the Super Bowl, and they will be aiming to exploit that potential this season. The Texans reached the playoffs two years running and will thus be eager to take it to the next level this season. There is little doubt that with a slew of talented players including Brian Cushing and J.J. Watt, they can do it.
As for the San Diego Chargers, this could be the start of a new era with the appointment of new head coach and general manager, Mike McCoy. But McCoy does not have an enviable task ahead of him, as he is widely expected to rebuild and reshape this team into one that could be a contender in the next few seasons. Even with players like Philip Rivers and newly drafted D.J. Fluker, this will be a tough season for the Chargers.
For this reason, the Texans have been posted as the big NFL betting favorites, including at Bodog.
San Diego Chargers vs Houston Texans Odds
| Team | Point Spread | Money Line | Total |
| Houston Texans | -4.5 (1.87) | 1.45 | 44.5 (1.91)o |
| San Diego Chargers | +4.5 (1.95) | 2.80 | (1.91)u |
