The Detroit Lions will head to the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to take on the New York Giants at Met Life Stadium. It's time to continue our NFL odds series with a Lions-Giants prediction and pick.
Last weekend, the Lions rallied from a two-score deficit to stun the Chicago Bears 31-30 at Soldier Field. Jared Goff completed 19 of his 26 passes for 236 yards and one touchdown. Meanwhile, Jamaal Williams rushed 16 times for 59 yards and a score. Amon St. Brown caught 10 of 11 targets for 119 yards, and Kalif Raymond added three receptions for 47 yards.
The Giants defeated the Houston Texans 24-16 last weekend. Daniel Jones completed 13 of 17 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns while rushing five times for 24 yards. Additionally, Saquon Barkley rushed 35 times for 152 yards and a score. Darius Slayton caught three passes for 95 yards and a touchdown.
The Lions lead the all-time series 23-21-1. Stunningly, the teams last met on October 27, 2019. Jones, Barkley, and Slayton are the only significant players that played in that game. Likewise, they did well offensively but still lost 31-6. Jones completed 28 of 41 passes with four touchdowns. Meanwhile, Barkley rushed 19 times for 64 yards while catching eight passes for 79 yards and a score. Slayton added two receptions for 50 yards and two touchdowns. Significantly, every Lion skill player will face the Giants for the first time with this team. The Lions have won two in a row in this head-to-head.
Here are the Lions-Giants NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Lions-Giants Odds
Detroit Lions: +3 (-105)
New York Giants: -3 (-115)
Over: 44.5 (-112)
Under: 44.5 (-108)
Why The Lions Could Cover The Spread
The Lions could be a good team if they could find a defense. Ultimately, their defense has leaked yards and points all over the place this season. They only covered the spread last weekend because of a rally by their offense. However, aside from the win over the Green Bay Packers, this defense has largely failed to produce.
The Lions rank ninth in the league in points power game but are dead last in points allowed per game. Unfortunately, their stalls on offense have helped hinder the defense. The Lions are 18th on third-down conversions and have moved the chains at a mediocre league rate. Additionally, they rank 28th in sacks, displaying their inability to get to the quarterback. Detroit is also 21st in interceptions. Conversely, their offense gives them the best chance to cover the odds.
Goff has a 63.8 completion rate with a quarterback rating of 97.3. Likewise, he has thrown for 2277 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Williams has rushed 142 times for 604 yards and nine touchdowns. Moreover, he has caught nine passes for 57 yards. D'Andre Swift missed some time this season. Unfortunately, it has not been a good season statistically for him. Swift has rushed 40 times for 253 yards and two touchdowns. Also, he has caught 17 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. St. Brown has also missed some time due to injury. Significantly, it has hindered some of his success. St. Brown has 49 receptions for 518 yards and three touchdowns. Additionally, fellow receiver Josh Reynolds might return this weekend. He has 26 catches for 357 yards and two scores. Likewise, Raymond has 23 catches for 302 yards.
The Lions will cover the spread if they can explode on offense and catch the Giants off-guard. Moreover, they must stop the New York rushing attack and force Jones to beat them.
Why The Giants Could Cover The Spread
The Giants have been the surprise of the season. Ironically, they were the underdogs for the majority of the season. But the Giants are 7-2 and speeding toward a playoff spot. Substantially, New York is winning close games and finding ways to close it out despite indifferent stats.
The Giants are 22nd in points per game and ninth in points allowed per game. Also, they rank 15th on third-down conversions. The Giants have hit plenty of field goals and also allowed many field goals. Thus, it is also leading to strayed stats. The Giants rank 21st in sacks and 31st in interceptions. Instead, they are merely making stops without forcing turnovers. Their offense has two primary playmakers.
Jones has a 65.8 completion rate with a 92.7 quarterback rating. Additionally, he passed for 1596 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions while rushing 69 times for 387 yards and three scores. Also, Barkley has 198 rushes for 931 yards and six scores while catching 29 passes for 197 yards. Slayton has 19 catches for 327 yards and two touchdowns to lead the receiving core.
The Giants will cover the spread if they can jump out to mean early lead. Ultimately, they must force the Lions to make mistakes to take the game.
Final Lions-Giants Prediction & Pick
The Giants are going to win this game. However, they won't play anyone out. The spread is still small enough to pick the Giants to cover.
Final Lions-Giants Prediction & Pick: New York Giants: -3 (-115)
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