Both teams showed they still have plenty of work to do if they want to enter the playoff conversation for the upcoming season. For the New York Giants it was much of the same for an offense that scored more points than only winless Cleveland last year. In a matchup with the Browns last week, the G-Men produced 10 points while dropping their preseason opener. After dropping a game in Oakland last week, rookie coach Matt Patricia will make his Detroit Lions home debut when his club entertains Big Blue in Week 2 preseason action.
This contest in Week 2 of the preseason will go down Friday, August 17, 2018, at 7 p.m. ET at Ford Field.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
New York Giants +3
Detroit Lions -3
Over/Under 40.5
Odds Analysis
Home field advantage typically means plenty in the NFL preseason, and not surprisingly, we've got a very conservative betting line here with Detroit favored by just the value of home field advantage. The Lions opened at -3 with a total that seems high for these clubs at 40.5.
Quarterback Rotation
The Giants may have a bigger quarterback dilemma than even they imagined. The hope is that Eli Manning can return to the level of three seasons ago behind an improved offensive line and running game. With a chance to draft a QB in April, the Giants opted for Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 pick, leaving Davis Webb as the heir apparent.
Webb has yet to play in a regular season game and the Giants blew the opportunity last season when Manning had his streak of consecutive games played come to an end. In his first action this preseason, Webb misfired on his first six throws and was unimpressive. Looking to get over that rough outing against the Browns, you can expect Webb to see significant time on Friday night. Barring a roster move before the season, Webb is the primary backup and needs as much work as he can get.
Patricia held Matthew Stafford out of the opener, explaining that the QB got plenty of meaningful work when the Lions and Raiders held joint practices ahead of their preseason opener. Stafford will certainly get the call on Friday and will play a few series before handing the ball to his backups.
Matt Cassel started in Stafford’s place last week and he’s competing with Jake Rudock for the No. 2 spot on the roster. It’s unlikely the Lions will carry three QB’s in the regular season, so the competition is stiff. Cassel completed 10 of 18 for 81 yards against the Raiders and he reentered the game for the final possession only to fumble the ball away on a potential game-winning drive. Rudock hit on 12 of 19 for 84 yards. The two will split the snaps after Stafford on Friday.
Players to Watch
The Lions took steps to upgrade the league’s worst run game, adding offensive linemen to block for a pair of new backs. There hasn’t been a 1,000-yard season or a 100-yard game for the Lions since 2013, and Patricia is looking to change that. The Lions drafted Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson in the second-round, hoping he could be the back to end years of frustration in the run game.
The early returns were positive, albeit against Oakland’s backups. Johnson averaged 4.9 yards per carry with 34 yards on seven attempts. But it was the run that didn’t count that had the coaching staff salivating. Johnson ripped off a 57-yarder that was negated by a penalty. The Lions totaled only 88 yards against the Raiders, but Johnson, Ameer Abdullah and LeGarrette Blount all averaged at least 4.0 yards per carry and they will get more action as the preseason progresses.
Free ATS Pick
Despite the loss in Oakland, Patricia likes how the Lions are responding during training camp and we should see more of the regulars play in Week 2, which will only increase their chances of getting a victory. Stafford is expected to see his first action of the preseason and the running game led by Johnson looks to be vastly improved.
It’s a different story for the Giants. They landed the best back in the draft and Barkley had a startling debut. However, he came up limp during practice and I doubt Pat Shurmur is going to give him any work on Friday. Take Odell Beckham Jr. out of the equation as well and the Giants will struggle to score points – again.
NFL Odds: Lions 20, Giants 13
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