Monday Night Football is back! In Week 2, many starters will play for up to a half, but offenses and defenses alike will continue to rely on simplified schemes.
The good news: It's football, and you can bet on it.
While the preseason isn't quite "real" football, the usage and production of players reveal the potential they and their units might have in the regular season.
For preseason player projections and daily fantasy analysis, see the FantasyLabs Models as well as our evergreen and slate-specific DFS content.
Let's take a look at key storylines for both teams playing Monday night.
Betting Odds:Baltimore Ravens (-2) at Indianapolis Colts
- Ravens Moneyline: -130
- Colts Moneyline: +110
- Over/Under: 43
- Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Baltimore Ravens
The Lamar Jackson experience has been a bit of a roller coaster through two games. This year's 32nd overall pick has completed just 11 of 28 passes for 152 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
The good news is Jackson's elite ability as a rusher makes him a threat to create something out of nothing on any play.
Lamar Jackson has completed just 11 of 28 passes so far …
… but remains more than capable of making something out of absolutely nothing pic.twitter.com/z3DFExWaj3
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) August 11, 2018
Continued struggles from Jackson as a passer could ultimately hurt the fantasy stock of Michael Crabtree or John Brown if/when the Ravens decide to make a switch under center.
The public seems to expect plenty of points from Joe Flacco and Jackson in the meantime, as 58% of tickets and 73% of the money have come in on the over (per our Live NFL Odds page).
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts' abundance of injuries in the backfield has made the running back depth chart a bit of a free-for-all.
- Projected starter Marlon Mack (hamstring) is considered week-to-week.
- Short-yardage back Robert Turbin (ankle) is suspended until Week 5.
- Second-year rusher Josh Ferguson (hamstring) has missed the majority of camp.
This essentially leaves the Colts with journeyman Christine Michael to complement fourth-rounder Nyheim Hines and fifth-rounder Jordan Wilkins.
Whoever winds up winning the starting job isn't exactly guaranteed a featured role, as new coach Frank Reich has consistently orchestrated committee backfields during his time in San Diego and Philadelphia.
The Colts opened as a 1.5-point favorite, but they're now 2-point underdogs, with 71% of tickets and 85% of the money coming in on the Ravens as of 4 p.m. ET on Monday (see live data here).
See Ian's Bets for Monday's Ravens-Colts Preseason Game in Our Free App
