In the grand scheme of things the game is meaningless. But once every preseason and when the teams don’t meet in the regular year, bragging rights are at stake. The New York Jets and New York Giants will fight their annual battle in Week 3 of the preseason in what is the shortest road trip of the year for the G-Men. With both teams sharing MetLife stadium, the game is affectionately known as the Snoopy Bowl, complete with a bronze statue of the cartoon character.
This preseason Week 3 matchup will take place on Friday, August 24, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium.
NFL Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
New York Giants PK
New York Jets PK
Over/Under 42
Odds Analysis
There is no home field advantage since the teams share the stadium, and the past two matchups have been decided by a single point, so the opening line is spot on. We’ve seen points scored in past contests with the over paying out in four of the previous five meetings and the opening total of 42 is well within reach.
Quarterback Rotation
The Giants are counting on Davis Webb to be Eli Manning’s backup and he made people around the organization a little more comfortable after last week’s performance. Webb struggled in the opener and was given the start last week against Detroit. Working with the first-team offense against Detroit’s starting defense, he was poised and confident in the pocket throwing for 140 yards and a touchdown on 14 of 20 passing, which was a vast improvement from his struggles against the Browns.
After sitting out the win over Detroit, Manning will be back in the rotation on Friday and will get a majority of the snaps as he prepares for the regular season. Webb has yet to play a regular season game and he needs all the reps he can get. Expect to see a few series for him to show last week’s effort was the real Webb, and not the numbers from the first game.
All indications point to Sam Darnold getting another start after he took most of the first-team reps in practice. Todd Bowles said he would like to get his first-round pick at least one start during the preseason and possibly more. Darnold started last week against the Redskins and wasn’t nearly as effective as he was during the opener, and this could be a sign that the staff wants to see if their prized rookie is ready to start the regular season.
A good problem at the start of training camp is turning into a dilemma. The Jets have three QBs who could start, yet they are only going to keep two on the roster. The odd man out figures to be Teddy Bridgewater, who would be easier to move than Josh McCown, and we know Darnold isn’t going anywhere. McCown has played one series so far this preseason and it appears as though Darnold and Bridgewater will split the reps on Friday.
Players to Watch
While it looks as though the quarterback situation is resolved with Darnold the likely starter as long as he doesn’t throw up on himself, there is another position battle going on with the Jets offense. Not as high-profile as the battle behind center, Bowles and his staff have to decide on the group of tight ends that they’ll enter the 2018 season with. Five players – Jordan Leggett, Chris Herndon, Neal Sterling, Clive Walford and Eric Tomlinson – are competing for what will likely be three spots and the competition is fierce.
“All five of them are very good. We like all five,” Bowles said after a recent practice. Sterling and Herndon didn’t play in last week’s game and Leggett had a nice weekend of practice, moving him up the depth chart. Each of the players can do different things, which makes the decision more difficult, and no one has gained much separation, according to Bowles. Look for the tight ends to play a significant role in Friday’s tune up.
Free ATS Pick
There is a little more at stake here than your normal preseason game and the players will take it seriously. The Snoopy Bowl was intense the last two preseasons with the Giants escaping with a pair of one-point victories, and the line is accurate at a pick em. Darnold is in line to start and this is the closest to a regular season game he’s going to see until Week 1. How he fares will determine the direction of the position.
This is nothing new to Manning, who has been through several of these games. And he gives the Giants an edge in the backfield due to his age and experience. Darnold may be ready to take the reins, but until he proves that I have to go with the more seasoned group of New Yorkers that wear the blue.
NFL Odds: Giants 27, Jets 24
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