The New York Giants ended their playoff drought by backing into the postseason. The G-Men couldn’t do it themselves on Thursday night, but they got help when the Saints beat Tampa Bay on Saturday. As much of a relief it was to break the four-year spell, the Giants weren’t happy about the way it was accomplished and would like to end the season with a victory. They can shut down the Washington Redskins postseason plans with a Week 17 win.
This matchup in Week 17 of the regular season will take place on Sunday, January 1, 2017, at 4:25 p.m. ET at FedEx Field.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
New York Giants +8
Washington Redskins -8
Over/Under 44
Odds Analysis
Some uncertainty regarding the Giants starters for this game has caused some movement in the line. Washington opened as 5-point chalk but with the possibility of several starters from both sides of the football taking a seat for New York, the line spiked three points to its current number. We still don’t know what the G-Men are planning and 73 percent of the spread wagers are taking a chance the Giants play their starters while being spotted a hefty amount of points.
Injury Report
DeSean Jackson – The Redskins’ receiver injured his jaw in the second half of the Bears game and didn’t return. Jackson is a play-maker and he has the ability to stretch the field against one of the better defenses in the league. Washington is already with Jordan Reed, so they can’t afford to lose another weapon in the passing attack.
Janoris Jenkins – New York’s top cornerback missed the last outing with a back injury and is likely to sit out again with nothing at stake for the Giants. His absence could offset Washington’s loss of Jackson, but you feel that if Jackson can play, he will with a playoff spot still up for grabs, and the Giants secondary could open up.
Matchup to Watch
If you look solely at the numbers there is nothing there that would indicate the Giants have one of the better defenses in the league. Big Blue ranks 22nd in passing yards allowed with 251.5 per game and is 11th in total defense with an average of 343.4 yards per game. What makes the group so good is its ability to keep opponents out of the end zone, especially in red zone situations.
The Giants have not surrendered a red zone touchdown in the past four games and have given up just 16 scores in 41 such situations this season. The Giants are not only shutting teams down in the red zone, they’re allowing few teams to even get there. New York has defended just five opponent red zone drives in the last four games. A large reason for the Giants third-best 18.3 points per game allowed average is their NFL-best red zone efficiency rating of 39 percent. The Redskins rely on big plays and aren’t too concerned with red zone percentages. They were held without a touchdown on four trips inside the Giants 20 when the teams met earlier this season, but used five field goals and two big pass plays to steal a victory.
Free ATS Pick
The Giants are locked into the No. 5 seed and there’s been some talk of whether or not Ben McAdoo will play his regulars. We won’t know for certain what his plans are until the coach addresses the media later in the week, and even then we may be left in the dark. And that is why we’ve seen some movement on the line. While the Giants have their own issues to worry about, there is at least one playoff game on the horizon.
For the Redskins it’s all about the win. If they defeat the Giants they are headed to the postseason and once there anything can happen. But they have to get their first. Washington did what it had to last week, defeating the Bears behind a stellar offensive performance. Kirk Cousins shrugged off a horrible Monday night outing in a loss to the Panthers two weeks earlier and kept his teams hopes alive. I have a feeling McAdoo will rest several of his regulars and the Skins will take advantage to get the win. However, the spread is high and the Giants get the cover.
NFL Odds: Redskins 27, Giants 21
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