It might be time to start taking the New York Giants seriously. They never looked like a dominant team, even during a six-game winning streak that put them near the top of the NFC. And the offense continues to lack explosiveness despite having several play makers. But the defense has looked world-class and the upgrades the team made during the offseason have paid off. The Giants mad another statement by taking down the Cowboys on Sunday night and get another NFC contender in the Detroit Lions in Week 15.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 15 game is set for Sunday, December 18, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Detroit Lions +5
New York Giants -5
Over/Under 41
Odds Analysis
We saw a sharp spike in the spread right after it opened at New York -4. Perhaps on the word of Matthew Stafford’s injury or maybe the betting public thinks the Giants are for real after knocking off the Cowboys on Sunday night. Either way, it’s probably not the last we see of this line movement. Both teams are prolific at cashing the under and with Stafford dealing with a finger injury on his throwing hand, the total took a dive after opening at 44. Still, the under holds some value, at least nearly 65 percent of the over/under bettors think so.
Injury Report
Matthew Stafford – The Lions’ quarterback injured the middle finger on his throwing hand against the Bears, however, he is likely to play on Sunday. Stafford led the Lions to a comeback win over Chicago while dealing with the injury and will have to wear a glove to protect the digit. Stafford has never played with a glove on his throwing hand and that could impact his effectiveness.
Shane Vereen – New York was hopeful the return of Vereen could bolster the league’s 31st ranked run game and spark the offense. We may have to wait a little longer to see if that’s the case. Vereen hadn’t played since Week 3 when suffered a torn triceps and in his first game back Sunday night he sustained a concussion.
Key Stat
The Giants had one of the worst defenses in the league last season and a serious upgrade was needed for them to get back to the postseason. The club spent $200 million during the offseason to strengthen that side of the ball with Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison and Janoris Jenkins brought in as free agents.
The investment has paid off big time for the G-Men and the emergence of Landon Collins as a bona fide Pro Bowl safety gives the Giants talent on that side of the ball that wasn’t around the past few years. In a league built around scoring, the Giants haven’t allowed more than 24 points since Week 3 and are giving up an average of 18.8 per game. They own the best red zone defense, surrendering touchdowns on just 43 percent of opponent trips inside the 20 yard line, and didn’t defend a red zone drive in Sunday night’s win over the Cowboys. New York silenced Dallas in that game and made the Cowboys’ rookie sensations look just like rookies.
Free ATS Pick
Let’s face it the Lions caught a huge break from the officials in their win over the Bears. Actually, they got several of them on calls that went their way at the end of the game, and it allowed them to escape with a not so impressive win over a 3-win team. That’s not the least of the Lions’ problems, however. The Stafford injury is significant and could be a deal breaker for them. Stafford is the engineer behind the offense that has generated so many fourth-quarter comeback win. His injured digit along with facing good Giants defense is a recipe to snap Detroit’s five-game win streak.
The Giants didn’t have a lot of backers for their Sunday night rematch with Dallas. Many assumed New York would roll over against the best team in the league. But the Giants keep surprising folks and absolutely shut down one of the most powerful offenses in the game. Eli Manning has had a sub-par year by his standards and the running games is non-existent, but with a defense that has the ability to shut down opponents, all it takes is one big play from OBJ and the Giants have a win. Stafford will be hampered by his injury and the Giants will take advantage by clamping down in a cover win.
NFL Odds: Giants 24, Lions 17
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