The St. Louis Rams (0-1) and

New York Giants (0-1) will both be looking to bounce back from dismal opening week performances when facing off on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
Kickoff from MetLife Stadium is expected at 8:30 ET and the home team has moved 2 1/2 points in the betting odds since the line was released on Sept. 13.
Oddsmakers waited to release this line due to injuries up and down the St. Louis roster, ultimately sending out New York as a 3 1/2-point home favorite. The total stands at 44.
Rams quarterback Sam Bradford is listed as probable after suffering a bruised right index finger that actually knocked him out of the final quarter in last week’s 31-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles as 3 1/2-point home underdogs.
St. Louis is likely to be without the services of star running back Steven Jackson, who did not practice on Thursday with a leg injury suffered in the opening quarter of the 2011 campaign. It was disappointing, as the former Oregon State star rushed for 56 yards on two carries before going down.
One of the key matchups in this contest will be on the sidelines, as Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo served as Giants defensive coordinator under Tom Coughlin during the franchise's third Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots in 2008.
He’s well aware of the talent that the New York defense possesses, but it’s also a unit that lost five key defensive players before the season started.
Playing in a prime time contest is an exciting experience for the upstart club, as St. Louis last appeared in front of a Monday night audience back on Dec. 11, 2006.
Bettors will find that the Rams are 11-22 against the spread versus NFC East opponents and the ‘under’ is 21-12 over that span.
New York hasn’t faced St. Louis since the 2008 season, registering a 41-13 road win as 9-point road favorites in that contest. The Giants out-gained the Rams by a significant 441-201 margin, but these two teams are much different this time around.
A bounce back is needed from the squad after suffering a 28-14 loss to the Washington Redskins as 2 1/2-point road favorites last week, as Giants signal-caller Eli Manning failed to reach pay dirt through the air for the first time in nine road games.
Defensively, the return of defensive end Justin Tuck would be a much-needed lift, after being a late scratch last week with a neck injury.
New York is likely to play a second week without another member of the defensive line, as Osi Umenyiora is still recovering from minor knee surgery that he underwent during the preseason.
The Giants should be cautious about letting their guard down in playing the run due to Jackson’s injury, as Rams backup running back Cadillac Williams rushed 19 times for 91 yards versus the Eagles in his place.
It’s important to note that playing on the big stage doesn’t seem to bother the team from the Big Apple, posting a 3-0 ATS mark on Monday Night Football.
Weather forecasts are calling for clear skies and game-time temperatures in the low-60s.