The New Orleans Saints and New York Giants both played in nail-biters to open the season, but only one emerged victorious. New York is the team feeling good about itself after knocking off the Cowboys, and will aim to remain undefeated in this Week 2 matchup at home.
The Saints blew a big lead against the Raiders and fell 35-34, as the offense predictably excelled and the defense unsurprisingly came up short. This could be a big-time shootout as both teams have impresses offenses and mediocre defenses.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 2 game is set for Sunday, September 18, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Saints +4
Giants -4
Over/Under 51.5
Odds Analysis
The Giants are favored and the betting public likes them to cover. More than 75 percent of wagers on the spread have gone to New York.
The scoring total seems too low and the gamblers seem to recognize that, as the early wagers are all taking the “over.” That is the clear play, as this has all the makings of the teams going big play for big play, with points going on the board at a high clip.
Injury Report
Delvin Breaux -- The Saints don’t have many impact pieces but Breaux was one of them. However, he broke his fibula and is expected to miss six weeks. The New Orleans defense is poor and the absence of Breaux for nearly half the season will make it even tougher sledding.
J.T. Thomas -- The Giants linebacker tore knee ligaments and was placed on injured reserve as he is expected to miss the rest of the season. New York could bring back Jasper Brinkley to beef up the linebacker corps or a different outside option.
Player to Watch
Drew Brees -- The ageless wonder put the Saints in position to win the opener until the defense blew it. The Giants added Janoris Jenkins to pair with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the secondary, but they will have their hands full trying to keep the Saints’ passing offense in check.
Brees threw for 423 yards and four touchdowns in the losing cause in the opener, showing he is as effective as he was in his prime. The hard part for New York is that Brees is willing to throw the ball around and never forces it to a receiver.
Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead had huge games against the Raiders, but tight end Coby Fleener or rookie wideout Michael Thomas could be next. The Saints should be able to score plenty in this contest.
Free ATS Pick
Even though the Saints have Brees, the Giants are still favored. They have a nice passing game as well, led by the pair of Eli Manning and Odell Beckham, Jr. Manning threw for three touchdowns in the season-opening win over the Cowboys and could feast on the New Orleans secondary.
Rashad Jennings ran the ball well against Dallas, and the Saints have also struggled against the run in recent years, so he could also have a big game.
This one basically comes down to which defense can make some crucial stops at important times. The Giants upgraded that side of the ball in the offseason, not only retaining Jason Pierre-Paul but addings Jenkins and Olivier Vernon in free agency. If the pass rush can get ramped up, that could make life difficult for Brees and force him into some turnovers.
This one has all the makings of a fun, high-scoring matchup. While touchdowns should be prevalent, this matchup could come down to a late field goal. The Giants should be able to squeak this one out, but it will be the Saints who cover.
The “over” is one of the biggest locks of the second week of the regular season. Take that one with confidence.
NFL Odds: Giants 31, Saints 28
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