After brutal starts to the season, the Giants and Saints are now playing good football ahead of their matchup on Sunday. New York has won four of five coming in to take over sole possession of the landfill that is the NFC East, while the Saints have won two of their last three to climb back into the playoff picture. Both clubs are in the middle of the pack at the betting window this year with identical 4-3 ATS records.
ODDS
New Orleans opened as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 49. The Saints are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall and 2-0 SU and ATS in their last two home games. The line was wagered to -3 while the total has yet to move.
KEY INJURIES
Robert Ayers – Left New York’s last game with a possible concussion and entered the league’s protocol for head injuries. He is questionable to play on Sunday. Damontre Moore is the backup right defensive end and could see increased playing time if Ayers is unable to go.
David Hawthorne – Suffered an unspecified injury late in last week’s game at Indy and the extent of the injury is unknown at this time. He lost most of his reps at linebacker to Dannell Ellerbe, who’s also battled injury problems this season. The Saints signed Henry Coley to their practice squad for insurance.
KEY MISMATCH
Before last Sunday the Saints were the only team in the NFL without a 20-yard run this season. Then Mark Ingram broke free for 20 yards in the second quarter. A few minutes later he busted loose for 44 yards. Then he tacked on a 35-yard scamper in the third quarter. Ingram finished with 145 yards on just 14 carries, and the Saints ran for a season-high 183 against Indianapolis. The Saints had a diverse package of runs, going inside and outside on the Colts with zone and man-on-man blocking schemes. New Orleans benefitted from Ingram’s explosive plays but also used Khiry Robinson for several series to give the lead back a blow. Robinson had 20 yards on seven carries with two touchdowns. Coach Sean Payton divides the series between his top two backs to keep a fresh player on the field and to let him stack plays. The Saints also did a better job of getting C.J. Spiller involved in the offense. New Orleans seeks the same type of production against a Giants defense that allowed 233 rushing yards to the Cowboys last week, including 152 to Darren McFadden.
KEY STAT
+9 – New York’s NFL-best turnover margin. The Giants forced four Dallas turnovers last week and their 15 total takeaways are tied for third in the league. The Saints have 11 giveaways and are even in turnover margin.
BETTING ANGLE
As the Saints reach the halfway point of their season, all the new players on the roster can’t be considered new any longer. Nearly half the Saints’ current players were not on the active roster last season. A number of those players are in the first few years of their pro career and had little or no regular season experience before last month. As their mistakes become fewer and their production rises, the Saints are looking competitive. As bleak as the season looked at 0-3 or 1-4, two straight wins have lifted the Saints back into the playoff picture. But it remains to be seen how much of the recent success can be attributed to a youth movement or a soft spot in the schedule. Two of their three wins were against Dallas and Indianapolis, teams which are both below .500. But the Saints are responsible for Atlanta’s only loss and can get back to .500 with a win.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Saints look like they are starting to come together. With all the new faces on the roster, Payton knew it would take some time and he preached patience. That’s now starting to pay off. The Saints have won two straight and are starting to win games in other ways than having Drew Brees pass for a zillion yards. The special teams have provided early sparks in wins over the Falcons and Colts and the defense has forced three turnovers in each win. It’s been a similar recipe for the Giants, who lead the league in turnover margin and scored the game-winning touchdown on kickoff return last week against Dallas. New Orleans, however, looks like the hotter team right now and the Saints have their swagger back. New York’s Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. return to their native New Orleans, but it won’t be a happy homecoming.
New Orleans 28, New York 22
BookMaker opened the spread for this Sunday game at -3.5 in favor of the Saints. The NFL odds total surfaced at 49. Minute-by-minute spreads, totals and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The matchup between the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints will take place Sunday, November 1, 2015, at 1 p.m. ET at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The contest will be broadcast regionally on FOX.
