It was a sharp dose of reality for the New York Giants in New Orleans. The G-Men saw their three-game winning streak snapped at the hands of the Saints, as the offensive woes that have plagued most of the...
It was a sharp dose of reality for the New York Giants in New Orleans.
The G-Men saw their three-game winning streak snapped at the hands of the Saints, as the offensive woes that have plagued most of the 2023 season returned. Things aren’t set to get any easier for Big Blue, as they visit a team that’s had their number over the past several years.
Philadelphia was looking like a Super Bowl favorite just a few weeks ago at 10-1. Losses to San Francisco and at Dallas followed. Those were to be expected, given that the 49ers could be the best team in the league, and the Cowboys are juggernauts at home.
What’s harder to explain is Monday night’s loss at Seattle. The Eagles never trailed until less than a minute to play, when Drew Lock engineered a 92-yard drive to give the Seahawks a 20-17 lead.
The Eagles were getting close to field goal range but instead of trying to get closer, quarterback Jalen Hurts went for the big gain. Problem is, A.J. Brown was double-covered, and the play resulted in a game-sealing interception for Seattle.
Fortunately for the Eagles, they get the Giants on Christmas Day at Lincoln Financial Field. But can the Giants take advantage of recent mistakes that Philly has made? We have a look at the Giants vs. Eagles odds and our best bets.
GIANTS VS. EAGLES ODDS: Take the Under at 42.5 (-110 at Caesars Sportsbook)
The Giants were held to single digits for the seventh time this year in a 24-6 loss at New Orleans. And both field goal drives were aided by Saints miscues. A roughing the kicker call on a punt led to New York’s first three points, and two defensive penalties accounted for the second field goal.
And whether its Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor, Tommy DeVito, or anyone else, New York’s leaky offensive line is the issue.
Philadelphia’s offense has also had its fair share of struggles as of late. Besides a touchdown on their opening drive, the Eagles couldn’t sustain drives on Monday, which was Philly’s third straight game of scoring fewer than 20 points. The Eagles scored over 35 in two out of three matchups against the Giants last year, but that Eagles offense was far more dynamic than what we’ve seen as of late out of Jalen Hurts and company.
First Quarter Line: Giants +2.5 (+114 at DraftKings)
Aside from last Monday night, the Eagles have been slow starters. The Seahawks game was the first one in their last five that the Eagles led at halftime.
The Giants haven’t lit the world on fire in the first quarter (last in the NFL with 1.4 points in the first 15 minutes of games), but don’t discount this bet. New York did get a field goal in their opening drive last week, and the defense has been strong to start games as of late. The Giants are allowing 4.3 first quarter points in their last four games.
Odds Against the Spread: Eagles (-11) over Giants (-110 at PointsBet)
While the G-Men might keep things close early, we expect the defense to be overpowered in the second half, much like it was in New Orleans.
In the overall series, the Eagles are 11-2 straight-up since 2017. Last year, two wins were by at least 26 points, including a 38-7 Philly rout in the divisional round of the playoffs. This is the first meeting between the two teams since that contest. Expect another manhandling of New York’s offensive line by the Eagles’ defensive front.
Another mark against the Giants is that this is the fifth game where they are double-digit underdogs. Opponents covered in three of the previous four. And against teams that are currently at or above .500, the Giants are 0-7 and didn’t score an offensive touchdown in five of those contests.
This will be the just the Eagles’ fourth game this year against a team currently under the .500 mark. They didn’t cover in the previous three and actually lost to the New York Jets. The difference here is that the Giants have been largely uncompetitive against good teams this year. So while it’s entirely possible that the Eagles’ struggles will continue, we would expect the opposite to occur. This will be the bounce-back game Philadelphia sorely needs. The motivation factor also lies in Philly’s favor. Despite the three-game losing streak, the Birds still control their own destiny in the NFC East. We believe it will all add up to a runaway win by the Eagles.
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