Patriots Giants Betting – Brady won’t play, but will it matter?
Of all the NFL preseason games, the ones you frankly don’t want to touch with a 39-and-a-half-foot pole are the very first ones and the very last ones. The first preseason games involve a lot of players who are going to get cut in the following two weeks. Teams are really rusty, and starting players will play little more than a few series.
In the final preseason games of the summer, the dynamics are somewhat similar. The backups are better and will probably make the final roster (save for a few), but the starters – who get a good set of repetitions in the next-to-last preseason game – are often benched for the entire 60 minutes. The New York Giants are favored over the New England Patriots for that very reason; more specifically, Tom Brady is not going to see very much (if any) playing time in this Thursday night exhibition. Will it matter, though?
NFL Betting: New England Patriots @ New York Giants
Online Betting Odds: Giants -3
Why To Bet On The Patriots
The Patriots won’t be extending Brady, not after the living NFL legend tossed three touchdown passes in a superb performance the week before against St. Louis. Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer is going to get a longer look from the New England coaching staff after throwing for just five yards against St. Louis. That’s not a reason to recommend the Patriots, but the reason to pick them is that the Giants have been tip-toeing through their preseason ever since their own franchise quarterback, Eli Manning (who beat Brady in Super Bowl XLII), got badly bloodied up in the exhibition opener against the New York Jets. The Giants are just trying to get through this preseason without any more injuries, and when a team takes that mentality into a game, it’s just not going to have a good chance of winning. This is the factor which works in New England’s pronounced favor.
Why To Bet On The Giants
Well, there’s nothing on the Giants’ roster which suggests they’re in good position to win this game. In last week’s 24-10 loss to Baltimore, backup quarterback Rhett Bomar didn’t dent the end zone until the final two minutes of regulation time. The window-dressing touchdown meant that New York was basically shut out for the duration of the game. Coach Tom Coughlin’s team is not pursuing victory during the summer, and understandably so.
How can this team be picked to win on Thursday? Simple – Tom Brady won’t be a part of this game. Brian Hoyer could very well fall flat on his face in what will amount to his big audition for the Patriots’ offensive braintrust. Hoyer could very well gift the Giants with great field position and perhaps even a pick-six or two.
How The Game Will Play Out
Hoyer won’t throw a pick-six. The Giants will continue to play tentatively. New England’s backups will have more energy and vigor in the fourth quarters, when the scrubs battle to avoid the last series of roster cuts before the start of the regular season. Take the Patriots… if you feel you must wager on the last NFL preseason game of the year.
Patriots Giants Betting Pick: Patriots +3
