Monday Night Football - NFL Betting: New York Jets at Miami Dolphins

by Bodog Sportsbook | Oct 12 2009

The New York Jets have a little extra something for online football betting aficionados this Monday night: Braylon Edwards. The controversial wide receiver will make his Big Apple debut against the Miami Dolphins in a key AFC East matchup. But there’s one problem for Jets supporters: Edwards only has two arms.

It looks like the Jets could still use some help in the wideout department as they prepare to face the Fish. To acquire Edwards from the Cleveland Browns, New York had to give up speedy WR Chansi Stuckey (32 catches as a rookie last year), as well as linebacker Jason Trusnik (the special teams AFC Player of the Week for Week 3) and a pair of draft picks. Edwards should be an upgrade over Stuckey, but WR Jerricho Cotchery (23 catches in four games this year) hasn’t practiced all weekend after straining a hamstring on Thursday. Cotchery took the team flight to Miami; Jets players are optimistic he’ll play, although the injury was severe enough for coach Rex Ryan to tell reporters Cotchery could miss out on Monday night.

The Jets (3-1 SU and ATS) go into this matchup ranked No. 30 in passing offense according to efficiency. They’ve relied heavily on the running of Thomas Jones (3.8 yards per carry) and Leon Washington (4.0 yards), but even more on their defense, which is ranked fifth in the league. New head coach Rex Ryan is part of the Ryan coaching family – Buddy Ryan is his father, Rob his twin brother – and a 20-year veteran of the football wars, spending four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens as defensive co-ordinator before earning the top job with the Jets. Ryan’s coaching has made New York one of the top football bets of the early season.

Adding Edwards to the mix gives rookie QB Mark Sanchez (four TD passes, five INTs) a viable downfield threat to pair with Cotchery. It’s also a roll of the dice. Edwards dropped a ton of passes in 2008, making just 55 receptions for three TDs (down from 80 catches and 16 TDs in 2007). He’s also been put under the microscope for this off-field behavior and his on-field difficulties getting along with the revolving door of Browns QBs. But Edwards insists his lack of focus was a product of Cleveland’s losing culture, and that he’ll be back to his old form playing for a solid organization.

Edwards should be able to hit the ground running in Miami. The Dolphins (1-3 SU and ATS) are much better at stopping the run than the pass; safeties Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell are very good at flooding the box, but highly vulnerable in play-action situations. Tight end Dustin Keller (48 catches as a rookie last year) is a strong candidate to put up some big numbers Monday night while allowing Edwards to spring free on deeper routes.

The bigger mismatch on the field will be when the Dolphins have the ball. Ryan proved adept at stopping the Wildcat last year when the Ravens held Miami to 71 yards rushing in Week 6 and another 52 yards in the AFC Wild Card Game – both at Dolphin Stadium. The Ravens easily won and covered both games. This time around Ryan’s Jets are 3-point road faves (-105) with a total of 36.5, the lowest total on the board this week.

Recent history is also very much on the side of the Jets at 8-2 SU and 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 meetings (including the preseason), although both teams have undergone significant changes over the last couple of years. The Dolphins are in the middle of a QB transition right now, going with former Michigan Wolverine Chad Henne after ex-Jet Chad Pennington tore up his shoulder and went on injured reserve. Henne went pick-free in his starting debut against the Buffalo Bills, throwing 14-of-22 for 115 yards and a TD pass with zero picks in a 38-10 victory. However, that win was all Wildcat: Ronnie Brown carried 20 times for 115 yards and a pair of majors as Miami (-1) cashed in for the first time this season. The Bills are ranked No. 29 in run defense this year.

We’ve got live betting all lined up for Monday Night Football starting at its regular time of 8:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. Let’s see what Henne can do against a real NFL team.