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Betting the MNF doubleheader: Will underdog Falcons keep up with Bills, can Bears take advantage of bye?


The NFL’s Week 6 slate wraps up with a pair of “Monday Night Football” games. The Buffalo Bills (-4.5, 49.5) visit the Atlanta Falcons to get things started (7:15 p.m. ET on ESPN), and the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders (-4.5, 49.5) kick off an hour later (8:15 p.m. ET on ABC).

Matt Bowen, Liz Loza, Pamela Maldonado and Seth Walder offer their picks, prop plays and analysis to help you bet the games.

Note: Odds at time of publication. For the latest updates, visit ESPN BET Sportsbook.


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BUF-ATL: Game picks
Prop bets | Betting trends
CHI-WSH: Game picks
Prop bets | Betting trends

The Bills are coming off a loss to the Patriots, their first of the season. They are still the favorite to win the Super Bowl at +475. The Falcons defeated the the Commanders in Week 4 and had a bye last week. At 2-2, they are +190 to earn a playoff berth. The Bills opened as 4.5-point favorites but the line has been bet down to 3.5.

Bills-Falcons game bets

Total points UNDER 49.5 (Even)

Maldonado: Atlanta’s offense can move the ball but struggles to finish drives, ranking near the bottom of the league in touchdown rate per possession. It’s volume without payoff. Buffalo’s defense, even with injuries, remains top 10 in opponent yards per play and red-zone stops. On the other side, Atlanta’s zone-heavy defense limits explosive passes and forces opponents to play patient football. We just saw Buffalo grind through that kind of game against New England. If that happens again, expect more James Cook touches and designed runs for Josh Allen with fewer deep shots. Both offenses can string drives together, but neither plays fast or finishes efficiently enough to sail the over.

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