Monday Night Football picks: Who covers the spread, plus my favorite prop picks for Saints vs. Ravens

The Ravens have been gluttons for injuries. It seems to go beyond just bad luck.

They altered how and when they practiced and brought in a new head trainer, but the health woes haven't gone away. A week ago they played three key offensive players – receiver Rashod Bateman, running back Gus Edwards and tight end Andrews - in two games in a five-day span despite them barely practicing, None finished that Thursday night game in Tampa or came all that close to doing so, but the Ravens won both.

They now have a bye looming and aren't even really pretending Andrews or Edwards will play Monday night, while Bateman will miss the better half of nine months recovering from foot surgery. I bring this all up to say that – with an upcoming bye and a favorable schedule ahead – this seems like a spot where the club is taking the long view, looking for extended rest before the playoff run. Monday night in New Orleans was always going to be a tough spot. In this case, undermanned and seemingly playing with a little house money, and it looks even more daunting now.

Ravens at Saints

• More MNF picks: Model | Expert | Props | DFS

Spread: Saints +1.5

It has seemed fishy to me all week that the Ravens were favorites here. Even if they were in better health and weren't totally depleted at wide receiver (not that they had much there to begin with), this might be a tough ask. The Saints put up 30 points per game with Andy Dalton at quarterback; the Ravens have struggled against read option looks (haven't seen a ton of them) and Taysom Hill is averaging nearly 9 yards per carry. It's a tough match-up. Will Roquan Smith fit in seamlessly in his first game against a difficult scheme? The Saints turnover luck seems to be regressing more to the mean and while Primetime Andy Dalton gives me some pause, I see the Ravens as being in survival mode here and wanting to get to that bye and heal up. Take the Saints on the moneyline too.

Game Total: Under 47

The Ravens leaned heavily into the run game in the second half in Tampa, with Andrews, Bateman and Edwards out (to say nothing of guys like JK Dobbins, who have been out of commission for a while). They ran more than 20 times and threw when they had to. That might be what Baltimore is right now, with a lot of Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill, and probably not all that much designed stuff for Lamar Jackson (health, health, health).  No team is better at eliminating tight ends and running backs than the Saints (tops in opposing passer rating and completion percentage) and that might be all the Ravens have at this point. DeSean Jackson (season debut!) and a hobbled Demarcus Robinson look like the best options outside, with Devin Duvernay in the slot. Meantime, the Saints can lean into some ground-and-pound as well. The Ravens don't blitz much anymore under new coordinator Mike Macdonald; Dalton kills the blitz but has struggled against Cover-2 and Cover-3 (Macdonald staples).

Team Total: Ravens Under 24.5

Baltimore has no proven playmakers available. The Saints allow only about 3.9 yards per carry on read option stuff (well above average) and they might have the best group of linebackers in the NFL, so I like their athleticism to contain the run game some. I don't see Ravens trying to push the ball downfield much. It'll be all dink-and-dunk, ground-and-pound. They'll be doing that against a solid defense on the road.

Same-Game Parlay (+700)

• Saints Moneyline
• Justice Hill Anytime TD 
• Lamar Jackson Longest Pass Under 34.5 Yards

Player Props

Note: At the time of writing, most player props were not yet available beyond those for the QBs and Alvin Kamara

Taysom Hill Anytime TD (+155)

Hill in the top five in scrimmage touchdowns and could do it catching or running. With Dalton's penchant for pick-sixes, I see plenty of volume for Hill.  He will get ample opportunity to impact this football game and there is good value here for such a special player in the red zone.

Lamar Jackson Interception (-115)

There are very few trusted options for Jackson to throw the ball to. He's barely even practiced with some of these guys. It's fair to expect some people not being on the same page with all this newness in a raucous environment in a wild dome.

Looking for the best picks against the spread, sharp plays on the total, and props you can take straight to the pay window? Join Jonathan Coachman on the Early Edge as he speaks with SportsLine's top handicappers to preview the day's biggest games. We promise to keep it short, sweet and to put some green in your pocket. Early Edge is in your feed every single day by 11 a.m. ET. Subscribe right here on YouTube to watch daily, plus don't miss the Early Edge specials and live shows!