The last time the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints played against each other in 2015, NFL betting enthusiasts were treated to a total-crushing, high-scoring thriller, as New York’s Eli Manning passed for 350 yards and a career-high six touchdowns while New Orleans’s Drew Brees passed for 505 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns in a don’t-move- away-from- your-seat 52-49 victory by the Saints. A lot has changed since that Nov. 1, 2015 meeting, as both teams have invested heavily in the offseason to cure their sickly 2015 defenses, but Manning and Brees are back along with the stellar pieces in their respective offensive units, no wonder the Oddsmakers are expecting another high-scoring affair when these two team meet this Sunday.
Will total bettors be cashing on the OVER side as has been the case in the majority of the recent meetings between the Saints and Giants? Or better yet, who’ll be claiming the all-important victory on Sunday? Read on as we break it down for you in the preview below.
How to Bet on the New Orleans at NY Giants Expert Pick, Betting Lines & TV Info
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
When: Sunday, September 18, 1:00 PM ET
TV Broadcast: FOX
Radio: New Orleans / New York
Live Stream: NFL.com
NFL Lines: New York Giants (-5), OVER/UNDER 53
Why New Orleans Will Win?
Despite suffering a gut-wrenching 35-34 defeat to the Raiders last week, the Saints did plenty of good on the field. Future Hall of Famer Brees was as lethal as ever with his arm, as he linked beautifully with his receivers for 423 passing yards and 4 TDs, including a game-high 170 receiving yards and a TD on nine receptions by Willie Snead. New Orleans’ revamped O-line also showed strongly, preventing the Raiders from tallying a single sack on Brees. Even so, the Saints were somewhat let down by their defense, allowing Oakland 486 total yards of offense and some easy scores down the stretch in the come-from- behind win by the Raiders. In order for the offense-reliant Saints to have a winning chance against the Giants, New Orleans’ defense must step up its performance, especially in putting pressure on Manning and his receivers.
Why New York Will Win?
While the Saints unluckily suffered a 1-point loss in Week 1, the Giants were on the good side of luck, as they held on for a 1-point win against the Tony Romo-less Dallas Cowboys. Going against rookie QB Dak Prescott played a part in the Giants’ win, but a lot of credit must be duly given to New York’s new-look defense that allowed just 328 total yards (227 passing, 101 rushing) against Dallas’ talent-laden offense. Manning wasn’t as explosive as Brees in Week 1, but passing for 207 yards (on 19-of- 28 passing) and 3 TD against 1 reception underlines the fact that the young brother to Peyton still has his aerial game in check. Not to forget, the Giants also incorporated good runs in their offense, totaling 113 yards against Dallas, a facet that bodes well for New York in Week 2 in case Manning and his aerial targets are limited in their output.
My Expert Pick & Prediction
The Giants are getting a lot of love in the NFL betting boards as favorites, and rightfully so, going by their strong performance last week. Nonetheless, history indicates that the Saints have won 3 of the last 4 overall meeting against the Giants dating back to 2009, including last year’s 52-49 Week 8 victory at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, meaning New Orleans shouldn’t be written off from pulling a road upset this Sunday. After all, Brees is much-better passer than Prescott, so the Giants won’t be getting the free pass they had last week. All in all, it’s a dicey game that could go either way. Personally, though, I am leaning on a Saints win, largely because I believe Brees is a better crunch-time QB than Manning in shootout encounters.
But for my best pick, I’ll be recommending an OVER. I mean, the Saints and Giants have met seven times since 2003, and most of those games have been high-scoring duels with the winner never scoring less than 27 points, including five times where the victors scored at least 45. More than that, the winning team in the last four Giants-Saints games scored at least 48 points—48, 49, 52 and 52 points—and the total has gone OVER in 4 of the last 5 games between New Orleans and New York. Throw in the additional fact that the QBs from the two teams showed strong offensive skills in their respective games last week; we strongly believe that the OVER will be the best play here.
Predicted Final Score: New Orleans 34, New York 30
Writer’s Pick: OVER 53
