?Perry?s Perspective? From
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MONDAY NIGHT?S MILE-HIGH CLUB
There are a lot of fun activities you can do at high elevations. Most of them will leave your heart pounding like a jackhammer while you gasp for air. Playing at Invesco Field in a big Monday nighter between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos is no exception.
This is one of those old-school AFL rivalries that just won?t die. These two clubs always seem to put up big points against one another, and the home team has a clear edge playing in front of partisan crowds. That?s a big reason why we have the Broncos as 3-point favorites this week. However, this might not be your traditional mile-high fireworks display. Although the total is set at a relatively high 47 ?, the under is priced at ?145.
Kansas City has jumped out to a 2-0 start, and although the Chiefs are as potent offensively as we?ve become accustomed to in recent years, it?s their improved defense that has actually begun to impress me. Most people took a wait-and-see approach when Kansas City went out and got the likes of Pat Surtain, Sammy Knight, Kendrell Bell and first-round draft choice Derrick Johnson. After all, this was a club that finished near the bottom of the league in yards allowed three years in a row. Old habits die hard.
Look at what?s happening to Denver?s once-feared defense, though. The Broncos were a Top-5 unit in each of the past two seasons. Now they?re having trouble stuffing the run. The Dolphins gained 151 yards on the ground to help beat the Broncos in Week 1, and San Diego got two touchdowns from LaDainian Tomlinson in a narrow 20-17 loss at Invesco Field.
The likelihood that the Chiefs backfield combo of Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson will have their way in Denver is reflected in our Monday night props. The favorite to put the first touchdown up on the board is Holmes at +500. Johnson is at +700, along with Denver running back Mike Anderson and Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez. But Kansas City?s defense is expected to keep the Broncos out of the end zone early on; Denver is +350 to kick a field goal for the first score of the game, compared to +400 for a rushing or passing touchdown.
Anderson is a fine running back and especially good at moving the sticks and eating up the clock. Tatum Bell, however, is a better threat to break a long run, except he?s listed as questionable for Monday night with a sprained left ankle. That leaves the door open for Ron Dayne to make a significant contribution to Denver?s rushing attack. Dayne has looked every much like the player the New York Giants thought they were getting when they drafted him 11th overall in 2000 out of Wisconsin. He was supposed to provide the ?Thunder? to Tiki Barber?s ?Lightning.? Instead, Barber proved too valuable to let anyone else handle the ball.
Dayne can help spell Anderson, who?s nursing a rib problem, but that still leaves the Broncos with a pair of thunderous runners and not much lightning if Bell can?t overcome his injury. That puts the spotlight on receiver Rod Smith, who has made a meal out of the Chiefs secondary in recent meetings. He?s taken a bit of a back seat to Ashley Lelie, but Smith has nine career 100-yard receiving games against Kansas City in his 11-year career. The two-time Pro Bowler also needs just 55 yards to reach the 10,000-yard mark. We have the over/under on Smith receptions at 5 ?.
Smith can catch the ball, provided Jake Plummer can get it to him. Plummer has long been criticized for his high interception totals, and he already has three this year compared to just one touchdown. That makes for an interesting Plummer prop: Will he throw a TD strike in the second quarter? We have him priced at ?150 for no and +120 for yes. Having this prop based on the second quarter reflects the expectation that the Chiefs will carry the game early, with the Broncos starting to claw their way back as the thin air begins
BetWWTS.com
MONDAY NIGHT?S MILE-HIGH CLUB
There are a lot of fun activities you can do at high elevations. Most of them will leave your heart pounding like a jackhammer while you gasp for air. Playing at Invesco Field in a big Monday nighter between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos is no exception.
This is one of those old-school AFL rivalries that just won?t die. These two clubs always seem to put up big points against one another, and the home team has a clear edge playing in front of partisan crowds. That?s a big reason why we have the Broncos as 3-point favorites this week. However, this might not be your traditional mile-high fireworks display. Although the total is set at a relatively high 47 ?, the under is priced at ?145.
Kansas City has jumped out to a 2-0 start, and although the Chiefs are as potent offensively as we?ve become accustomed to in recent years, it?s their improved defense that has actually begun to impress me. Most people took a wait-and-see approach when Kansas City went out and got the likes of Pat Surtain, Sammy Knight, Kendrell Bell and first-round draft choice Derrick Johnson. After all, this was a club that finished near the bottom of the league in yards allowed three years in a row. Old habits die hard.
Look at what?s happening to Denver?s once-feared defense, though. The Broncos were a Top-5 unit in each of the past two seasons. Now they?re having trouble stuffing the run. The Dolphins gained 151 yards on the ground to help beat the Broncos in Week 1, and San Diego got two touchdowns from LaDainian Tomlinson in a narrow 20-17 loss at Invesco Field.
The likelihood that the Chiefs backfield combo of Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson will have their way in Denver is reflected in our Monday night props. The favorite to put the first touchdown up on the board is Holmes at +500. Johnson is at +700, along with Denver running back Mike Anderson and Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez. But Kansas City?s defense is expected to keep the Broncos out of the end zone early on; Denver is +350 to kick a field goal for the first score of the game, compared to +400 for a rushing or passing touchdown.
Anderson is a fine running back and especially good at moving the sticks and eating up the clock. Tatum Bell, however, is a better threat to break a long run, except he?s listed as questionable for Monday night with a sprained left ankle. That leaves the door open for Ron Dayne to make a significant contribution to Denver?s rushing attack. Dayne has looked every much like the player the New York Giants thought they were getting when they drafted him 11th overall in 2000 out of Wisconsin. He was supposed to provide the ?Thunder? to Tiki Barber?s ?Lightning.? Instead, Barber proved too valuable to let anyone else handle the ball.
Dayne can help spell Anderson, who?s nursing a rib problem, but that still leaves the Broncos with a pair of thunderous runners and not much lightning if Bell can?t overcome his injury. That puts the spotlight on receiver Rod Smith, who has made a meal out of the Chiefs secondary in recent meetings. He?s taken a bit of a back seat to Ashley Lelie, but Smith has nine career 100-yard receiving games against Kansas City in his 11-year career. The two-time Pro Bowler also needs just 55 yards to reach the 10,000-yard mark. We have the over/under on Smith receptions at 5 ?.
Smith can catch the ball, provided Jake Plummer can get it to him. Plummer has long been criticized for his high interception totals, and he already has three this year compared to just one touchdown. That makes for an interesting Plummer prop: Will he throw a TD strike in the second quarter? We have him priced at ?150 for no and +120 for yes. Having this prop based on the second quarter reflects the expectation that the Chiefs will carry the game early, with the Broncos starting to claw their way back as the thin air begins
