The NFC East appears to be wide open now and the Redskins are in a good position after a grinding win over the Rams. The Giants have little time to recover from another heart-breaking fourth-quarter loss and find themselves in what amounts to a must-win game for coach Tom Coughlin, who’s gotten erratic play from his $85 million quarterback. The Giants have won four straight over the Redskins and are 4-1 ATS in their last five, so at least they got that going for them. We’ll all be watching closely when the fourth quarter rolls around.
ODDS
The Giants opened as a 4-point favorite at home with a total of 45. New York is 4-1 ATS in its last five against Washington and the total has gone under the total in each of the last five games when New York is the home team.
KEY INJURIES
Perry Riley – Left Sunday’s game with a calf injury and didn’t return. The Skins starting inside linebacker was replaced by Will Compton.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie – Suffered a concussion Sunday and will enter the league’s protocol for head injuries. With a short work week, he would appear to be a long shot to play on Thursday.
Ereck Flowers – Exited with a left ankle injury in the second half Sunday and didn’t return. It was the same ankle he injured in the opener, but he was able to play through it then. Flowers couldn’t get through Sunday’s game.
KEY MISMATCH
It’s evident what the Redskins game plan is and coach Jay Gruden isn’t trying to mask it. In Sunday’s win over the Rams, the Skins offensive line pushed the talented St. Louis front four around, creating holes for Matt Jones and Alfred Morris to run through – and they did. “This is the blueprint that we have to have. We have a young quarterback. We don’t want to throw the ball 50 times,” Gruden said. “We want to run the ball, be physical.” Morris did the heavy lifting in the opener running for 121 of the team’s 161 yards while Jones added 28 yards. On Sunday the roles were reversed. Jones tallied 123 of the team’s 184 yards and two touchdowns and the display showed exactly what the Redskins are: a run-heavy, defensive-oriented team. The Redskins have an identity and two backs who can produce.
KEY STAT
68.0 – New York’s rushing yards allowed per game. The Giants rank third in the NFL in rushing defense, which is good news for them going against the grinding Redskins. New York was torched through the air on late drives in losing its first two games, applying no pressure. They’ll try and stop Washington’s league-leading rushing offense.
BETTING ANGLE
Another week, another painful loss, and New York’s season is in danger of turning ugly. The Giants had a chance to put the mess they made in Dallas behind them, but blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead and lost in the final minutes Sunday to Atlanta, effectively stacking one ugly loss on top of another. An argument could be made that the Giants beat themselves with sloppy play. There were dropped passes, untimely penalties, missed opportunities by the defense, and turnovers by the offense, all of which resulted in self-inflicted wounds that have the Giants off to their third straight 0-2 start. At least the Giants avoided a 0-3 start by winning their third game last season and have won four straight overall over the Redskins and three in a row at home.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Redskins have found their identity on offense, running the ball recklessly with Jones and Morris behind a punishing offensive line. It’s a formula they’ll need to keep riding since quarterback Kirk Cousins isn’t the guy you want trying to win a game. As long as the backs churn out the yards and the defense plays the way it has through two games, the Skins will continue to surprise. The formula to beat them is simple: stop the run and make Cousins throw the ball. Without DeSean Jackson, the big play threat is missing, and Cousins is prone to turning the ball over. The Giants have had success against the Skins and they can build off that while putting the late game collapses behind them. Manning will earn the coin he’s getting paid and New York will get a win after being so close the first two games. The fourth quarter will be watched closely, especially if the game is tight, but the G-Men figure it out for the cover win.
New York 24, Washington 13
BookMaker opened the spread for this Thursday game at -4 in favor of the Giants. The NFL lines total surfaced at 45. Minute-by-minute spreads, totals and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The matchup between the Washington Redskins and New York Giants will kick off Thursday, September 24, 2015, at 8:25 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium. The matchup will be televised live on CBS and the NFL Network.
