The New York Post is already all over Eli Manning and the New York Giants. This is the third straight season this offense has really struggled out of the blocks, and the last thing Eli and the gang needed this week was a date with the New York Jets, who will be eager to be the showcase on the back page of the papers following Saturday's duel.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
It's all about Manning for the Giants. He was terrible in the first half last week against the Jaguars, going just 4-of-14 for just 46 yards, and he will find himself up against a much tougher test this week against the Jets' secondary.
Live bettors shouldn't just immediately jump all-in on the Jets, though. Remember that Ryan Nassib, who is the heir-apparent to Manning for the G-Men, has actually looked good, including last week when he went 19-of-35 for 217 yards and a score.
Todd Bowles is a wild card in this one. He basically split last week's game against the Falcons up into halves with Ryan Fitzpatrick playing the first and rookie Bryce Petty playing the second.
The question for live bettors? Where does Matt Flynn come into play? Wherever that is, we aren't all that confident. Flynn really has only shown that he can play in one system in his career, that of the Green Bay Packers, and we're not convinced that Bowles is going to get him ready this quickly to be effective.
WHEN THE GIANTS HAVE THE BALL
Is it actually possible that the Giants' West Coast style offense is actually better served to be run by Nassib than Manning? Manning has really struggled in the West Coast throughout his career, and this concept of checking the ball down to running backs and tight ends just isn't jiving with him.
The G-Men will run the ball a ton, something which could prove successful against the Jets. Surely, passing against those tough defensive backs, all of which are expected to play at least a quarter, if not a half for the Jets, is going to be quite tough. If Manning can't get his passes off fast and make the right decision when he does, live bettors could find quick swings in momentum off of Jets forced turnovers.
WHEN THE JETS HAVE THE BALL
The Jets are having a tough preseason with their skill position players. Geno Smith, of course, suffered a self-inflicted wound by getting punched in the jaw by his own teammate, but aside from that, Jeremy Kerley, Daryl Richardson, Shaquille Evans, T.J. Graham, Chris Owusu and Devin Smith have all been hurt, too. None of these men are expected to play in this game.
Do keep in mind, as an aside, that the Jets have killed themselves with penalties. Last week, they committed 17 penalties for 125 yards, many of which came in the form of mental mistakes on offense. A lot of that is due to the mixing and matching Bowles is forced to do with all of these absentees, and live bettors should know that even drives which look like they could go for Jets scores could be derailed in a heartbeat by a holding penalty or a couple delay of games.
TREND TO TRACK
Tom Coughlin has a winning record in just about every situation here in the preseason, except for the one which really tends to count. Here in Week 3 of the preseason, a game which typically serves as a dress rehearsal for the regular season, Coughlin is just 3-8 in his career. Much of that has had to do with Manning putting the team in a pit in the early going. Typically, the G-Men have had backup quarterbacks who have been able to help get them out of trouble in the second halves of these games, but should live bettors really trust Nassib if Manning mucks this game up as he has in his first two outings this year? Likely not.
The NFL odds for this Saturday contest were first released by BookMaker, and the New York Giants were positioned as 1.5-point favorites with a total of 42.5. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The game between the New York Giants and New York Jets is set for Saturday, August 29, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium.
