Kirk Cousins Picks, Predictions, and Best Bets for Monday Night Football Week 15

Kirk Cousins is a big risk-taker in the pocket, and the negatives of that approach have been on full display of late. Our NFL betting picks believe the Falcons QB will gamble and lose at least once with an interception in Las Vegas.

Sam Farley - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Sam Farley • Betting Analyst
Dec 16, 2024 • 18:16 ET • 4 min read
 Atlanta Falcons NFL Kirk Cousins
Photo By - Imagn Images. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins in NFL action.

Kirk Cousins has struggled of late for the Atlanta Falcons, but can he keep their playoff hopes alive against the Las Vegas Raiders?

Join me as I break down the very best Kirk Cousins odds for Monday Night Football on December 16.

Kirk Cousins MNF player prop picks

Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.

Kirk Cousins MNF prop pick

My best bet
Kirk Cousins to throw an interception (-120 at FanDuel)

My analysis

The Atlanta Falcons are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff hunt, but they’re not down and out. A win vs. the Las Vegas Raiders will put them in the hunt once again. 

In order to win, the Falcons are going to need Kirk Cousins to be at his best, something he’s not managed to do in recent weeks. The Falcons have lost their past four games in a row, and in that time span Kirk Cousins has thrown a total of zero touchdowns. 

What’s worse than failing to find the end zone has been Cousin’s approach to ball safety, which has seen him intercepted in all four of those games, giving up a total of eight picks. That was largely down to a horrific four-pick performance against the Chargers. Given his recent struggles, I’m backing Kirk Cousins to throw an interception here.

It hasn’t just been a recent thing, as we’ve seen interceptions consistently from Cousins during his tenure in Atlanta. He’s thrown a total of 15 this season and leads all quarterbacks in the NFL.

While four did come in one game, it has generally been a consistent volume of interceptions, with nine of 13 games this season seeing Cousins get picked off. It hasn’t just been in Atlanta either, as he had five INTs in eight games for the Vikings last year and 14 the season before in which he played the full year. The issue is that he’s not finding the end zone in the way that he was in Minnesota, making those picks far more costly. 

In theory, the Raiders are one of the better matchups for Cousins, as they’re in the bottom half of the NFL in terms of interceptions made this season. However, they’ve improved a lot in that area as the season has progressed. They only had two picks in the first six games of the season, in the seven games since they’ve made five, including two last weekend.

The pressure is on Cousins to get this team back into the playoffs. To do that, he might need to force throws that aren’t totally safe, and that’s only going to lead to a higher chance of an interception. 


More Falcons vs Raiders picks from Covers


Kirk Cousins MNF same-game parlay

Kirk Cousins Over 235.5 passing yards

Kirk Cousins Over 1.5 passing TDs

Drake London Over 64.5 receiving yards

My best bet for the game isn’t available for same-game parlays, so instead we’re going to start with Cousins Over 235.5 passing yards. Throughout the season he’s averaged 261.2 passing yards per game, and he’s covered 235.5 in three of his past four games. He’s never afraid to throw the football and likely won’t be afraid this week, despite his recent interception issues. 

We’re also backing Cousins to throw Over 1.5 passing TDs. He’s only thrown multiple TD passes in four of 13 games this season, with the last time coming in Week 9 against the Cowboys. However, the Raiders have allowed opposing QBs to throw two or more touchdowns in five of their past six games, allowing 16 passing TDs in that time span.

Our final leg is for Drake London to have Over 64.5 receiving yards. He’s averaging 66.6 receiving yards per game and has hit this mark in three of the past four games. It’s also worth noting that he’s had double-digit targets in three of the past four games too, and that volume should increase his chances of covering here.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

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Betting Analyst

Sam is based in the United Kingdom, where he grew up living and breathing soccer, before discovering - and playing - a different kind of football at the University of Bristol. He’s worked in the media covering soccer and the NFL for the better part of a decade, and has been a regular on the Matchbook NFL Podcast. His work has also appeared in a wide range of publications including The Telegraph, The Independent, VICE, and MSN.

The search for great betting value is a daily one, and Sam always hunts out big prices with a particular focus on player props. Sam’s best advice for bettors is to track their bets on a spreadsheet, that way you can keep an eye on your P&L but also the types of bets and sports that you are most successful in. He also recommends using a variety of different sportsbooks, with bet365, Betfair and Paddy Power amongst his favorites.

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