Monday Night Football is usually when the NFL tries to showcase some of the best matchups of the season. When all eyes are on the only standalone game of the evening, it helps when there are two juggernauts fighting it out for playoff position or a couple of the league’s best quarterbacks in a back-and-forth duel. Tonight, neither of those things is the case with the Steelers taking on the Giants in what could be one of the sloppiest primetime games of the year. These are two teams in the exact opposite position, which should create a dramatic chasm in the motivation and playing style for each club. The Steelers are 5-2 and currently sit atop the AFC North standings, looking to retain sole position of first place over the high-flying Ravens. The Giants are a lowly 2-5 and are firmly in the basement of the NFC East. The Giants’ struggles are well documented, while the Steelers’ surprising win-loss record this year has caused many to question if they are a real contender or merely a flash in the pan. But this game will ultimately come down to quarterback play, with the Steelers featuring the aging Russell Wilson and the Giants featuring the reviled Daniel Jones, fresh off a 28-3 loss to the Eagles in which he threw for 99 yards, zero touchdowns, and was sacked seven times. Giants brass has already stated they will not be quick to bench Jones, who signed a 4-year, $160 million contract in 2023. It’s possible that the Giants are in full tank mode and are trying to secure the best pick possible in the upcoming draft. That seems to be the only logical reason why they would stick with their hapless quarterback despite all of his struggles. If you tuned in to basically any of this year’s offseason-focused Hard Knocks featuring the Giants, you likely noticed that basically every episode included GM Joe Schoen desperately trying to get a new starting quarterback on the roster. When that did not come to fruition, it was clear that it was only a matter of when, not if, the Giants would replace the former 6th overall pick with someone who can actually win them football games.

On the other side of the field, the Steelers will be closely scrutinizing the play of Russell Wilson, who took over QB1 duties from Justin Fields last week against the Jets. Fields was under center for the first six games of the Steelers’ season and is responsible for four of their five wins. Wilson was solid in his first foray in the black and gold, throwing for 264 yards and two touchdowns in what turned into a beatdown of the Jets on Sunday Night Football. It is unclear, however, if Russell Wilson has rekindled the old Seahawk magic from yesteryear or if the Jets are just a miserable football team incapable of making any quarterback look bad. While the Giants certainly are at least just as bad as their MetLife roommates, tonight will go a long way in proving if Wilson will be the starting quarterback for the Steelers moving forward. Luckily, Pittsburgh features one of the most ferocious defenses in the league and perhaps the NFL’s preeminent pass rusher in T.J. Watt. Given that the Giants have difficulty moving the ball on offense, Wilson and the Steelers’ offense should have plenty of opportunities in the short field on Monday night.

The Bet I Like the Most

Daniel Jones is simply not an NFL-caliber quarterback. He may hang around for a few years as a backup, but I think it is clear to anyone with eyes that his days as a starter are dwindling. He has failed to throw a touchdown in each of his last two games against mediocre defenses in the Eagles and Bengals and will be going up against perhaps the best defense in the NFL on Monday night protected by a patchwork offensive line. Couple that with the fact that he is a career 0-7 on Monday Night Football, and I think it would be silly to cast your lot anywhere other than the Pittsburgh Steelers. Give me the Steelers at home laying the points, and let me count my money.

A Bet for Steelers Fans

Perhaps the greatest beneficiary of Russell Wilson taking over as the starting quarterback for the Steelers is George Pickens. Pickens is one of the league’s fastest pass catchers and thrives on the 50-50 balls deep down the field. Russell Wilson, to his credit, is one of the best deep ball throwers the league has ever seen. You saw glimpses of what their pairing could do last week against the Jets when Pickens went for 111 yards and a touchdown. The Giants will likely not be able to stop Pickens this evening if Wilson uncorks a few deep balls his way. I think he secures at least one score on the way to a Pittsburgh victory.

A Bet for Giants Fans

Call it chalky if you want, but I don’t think the Giants even have a prayer to stay competitive on Monday night if they don’t get Malik Nabers involved. He will be perhaps the most talented player on the field from either side and is really the only legitimate threat the Giants have. I think the Giants look to him early and often, and if they happen to make it into the red zone, don’t be surprised if they throw it to him three or four times in a row. I think he finds the end zone tonight to break his mini 2-game scoring drought.