Monday Night Football Betting: Giants at Eagles
First place in the underwhelming NFC East is on the line in Week 6 of Monday Night Football as the New York Giants pay a visit to the City of Brotherly Love to face the hated Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants enter the fray banged up on both sides of the ball. Cornerback Prince Amukamara, linebacker Devon Kennard, and wide receiver Victor Cruz are all out. Also, Odell Beckham Jr., Jon Beason, Robert Ayers, and Jonathan Casillas are questionable to play. Philly is hardly the picture of health either as Mychael Kendricks, Kiko Alonso, Nelson Agholor, and Brandon Bair are sidelined, and oft-injured running back Ryan Mathews is questionable with a sore groin. G-Men are winners of three straight, while the Birds are 0-2 in the division. It sets up to be a must-see rough and tumble battle between rivals with the debut of the final trailer for the new Star Wars movie thrown in for good measure. Here’s a preview and prediction.
NY Giants at Philadelphia -5.5
The get-the-ball-out-early passing attack employed by offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo has Eli Manning in a steady groove. He’s not committing egregious blunders by holding the ball, which in turn has helped a revamped line to limit sacks and pressures. New additions Shane Vereen and Dwayne Harris are making consistent contributions, and the duo of Beckham and Rueben Randle have combined for 50 catches and five touchdowns. The Eagles secondary is vulnerable to big plays, so expect Manning to test them early and often. Steve Spagnuolo has fixed a leaky front seven that was gashed in 2014; through five games they rank second in rushing defense. However, the extra attention paid to stopping the run has resulted in a secondary that is dead last in yards allowed, and the loss of Amukamara isn’t going to make it any better. Giants have lost three straight Monday nighters, but are 4-1 ATS in their last five road trips.
In year 3 of the Chip Kelly experiment, the Eagles have morphed into a maddening Jekyll and Hyde team. On occasion, they look like a cohesive roster living up to its supreme talent. But mostly, they have been inept, sloppy, and slow. Beating up the Saints pathetic defense last Sunday may have ignited a spark, or it’s possible that the Saints pathetic defense makes everyone look awesome. Sam Bradford is good for one or two head-scratching turnovers per week, DeMarco Murray runs like he has a refrigerator strapped to his back, and the entire receiving corps has taken to soaking their hands in butter prior to kickoff. Leave aside Julio Jones’ Week 1 abuse and the final drive versus Washington, the defense is playing quality football. Sticking to receivers, applying pressure, and forcing Eli into ill-advised throws will be crucial to notching a victory. If they fall to 0-3 in the division, they are all but finished. Eagles are 3-6 ATS in the their last nine overall.
Giants are 5-5 ATS in their last ten road tilts. Eagles are 7-3 ATS in the last ten head-to-head meetings. This one comes down to injuries; if Beckham struggles with his hamstring it will be difficult to keep pace with an improved Philly passing attack. Home team wins, visitors cover.
Bet NY Giants +5.5
