Eagles Giants Betting – Ground Game Sparks G-Men To Victory
Sports betting players should remember back to 2007, when the New York Giants were an unlikely Super Bowl winner because of a power running game and a crazy defense. The same two factors are starting to come together this year for the Giants, who are getting ready to welcome Philadelphia to town, and you can expect New York’s rushing attack to come up big.
- What: NFL betting
- When: Sunday, December 19th, 1:00 PM ET
- Where: New Meadowland Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- Pick: New York Giants -3
What’s On The Line
The Philadelphia Eagles (9-4) have won five of their last six since their bye after a 30-27 win at the Dallas Cowboys, while the Giants (9-4) rolled over the Minnesota Vikings 21-3 in a game that had to be played in Detroit on Monday night because the Vikings’ dome collapsed. This sets up a first-place showdown in the NFC East between these two rivals, and the Giants would love to avenge a 27-17 loss in Philadelphia in Week 11, so this may be the most important game of the weekend.
Offensive Matchups: Eagles Giants Betting
Everyone talks about the New England Patriots’ roll, but the Eagles are the No.1 offense in the league, and their biggest threat was on display against the Cowboys. DeSean Jackson had four catches for 210 yards and a 91-yard score, complete with a showboating celebration worthy of the feat. Michael Vick threw for 270 yards, a pair of touchdowns and two picks, while LeSean McCoy ran for 149 yards and was huge in the fourth quarter when he went straight through the middle of the Dallas defense. But it wasn’t all good as Vick was sacked twice and pressured many times, so the line has to be a bit more consistent.
New York is actually fourth in the league offensively, and like the Eagles, they put their best foot forward against their most recent opponent, and that’s their fourth-ranked rushing attack. The Giants ran for 213 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Vikings, with Brandon Jacobs gaining 116 yards, Ahmad Bradshaw going for 103 yards, and both found the end zone for the Giants. New York is always a better team when they have their ground game going, and they could be in luck this week as the Eagles will be missing their starting middle linebacker.
Betting Edge: Eagles
Defensive Matchups: Eagles Giants Betting
The Eagles forced a couple of turnovers, and they played pretty well when you see they were on the road against an improving Dallas team, and they were missing a couple of important players. The Eagles did stop the Cowboys on eight of 11 third-down opportunities, but they also gave Dallas three first downs because of penalties. Now, linebacker Stewart Bradley is on the injured reserve, along with rookie end Brandon Graham, and the Eagles are hoping cornerback Asante Samuel will be able to come back into the lineup.
The Giants dominated the Vikings, stopping them on 14 of 16 third-down opportunities, and allowed 164 yards. They gave the Vikings a couple of first downs because of penalties, but overall it was a great performance from the No.2 defense in the league. They managed four sacks, and they’re now tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the league lead. It all starts with the front four and the pass rush that they generate, and it also allows them to lead the NFC in takeaways, which makes them a team to keep an eye on if they can get into the playoffs.
Betting Edge: Giants
Notable Injuries: Eagles Giants Betting
Bradley (elbow) and Graham (knee) are both out for the rest of the year, but the Eagles are optimistic that Samuel (knee) is able to suit up for them.
Center Shaun O’Hara (foot) may be ready to return after missing six games, while receiver Mario Manningham (hip) left the Minnesota game, as did linebacker Clint Sintim (knee) for the Giants.
Betting Edge: Draw
Outlook and Pick: Eagles Giants Betting
The Giants are 3-point NFL betting favorites at home in this contest, but they’ve struggled at home against the Eagles with a 1-4 SU and ATS mark in their last five meetings. We think they’ll come away with the win this week despite the short week, because the Eagles have some serious injuries to get past on defense. We all remember how the Philadelphia defense struggled without Bradley last year, and the New York ground game is starting to roll. That allows the Giants to keep Vick and the big-play Eagles on the sidelines. Take the Giants to cover the online betting spread on Sunday.
Stan’s Pick: New York Giants
