New York Giants vs New England Patriots Betting Preview

Thursday Night at 8:20 PM EST the Patriots take on the Giants in Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Mass. The sportsbooks currently have the point spread set at New England -16.5 and the total at 42 points. The 16.5 point spread makes the Giants the largest underdogs in their team history. They have five times previously been 15 point underdogs.

The New England Patriots are the hottest team in the NFL. Only they and the San Francisco 49ers are undefeated. The Niners have played one less game so the Patriots are the only 5-0 team.

The New York Giants are 2-3 straight up and against the spread. They pulled the plug on Eli Manning a few weeks ago and the team in now in the hands of a rookie QB, Daniel Jones from Duke. He has shown flashes of brilliance but still makes rookie mistakes.

Saquon Barkley will not be back in time for Thursday’s matchup. The running back is still recovering from a sprained ankle. Back-up running back Wayne Gallman may also be out for Thursday’s game. He is day-to-day with a concussion protocol. He did not practice Tuesday. This leaves the carries to Jonathan Hillman. The rookie back out of Rutgers has 20 yards on 9 attempts thus far in his career.

The New England Patriots are rolling. They are 5-0 straight up and 3-2 against the spread. Only the Patriots could lose a All-Pro Tight End and be even better the following season. Brady is hitting his passes and the team is scoring near the top in the NFL (155 points).

The Patriots defense is tops in the league and its not even close. They have allowed a total of 34 points scored. Next closest is the 49ers with 57 and they have played one less game than New England.

Trends to Consider

The NY Giants are 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.

The NY Giants are 2-6 SU in its last 8 games.

But

The NY Giants are 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games on the road.

And

New England is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games.

New England is 14-5 ATS in its last 19 games at home.

Finally

New England is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing the NY Giants.

Conclusion

The trends seem to conflict with one another. There is nothing clear about them. New England typically fails to cover when they play NYG but this is a much different team than when they played last.

It is worth noting that the NY Giants have been the Patriots kryptonite in years past, handing them 2 of their 3 Super Bowl losses. But like I said this is a different squad.

It seems to be the smart play to take the team with the #2 offense and #1 offense in the league, that is riding high and winning all their games vs the team with the rookie QB and the third string running back. It would be hard to argue with that logic. One could see this game getting away from the Giants and the points piling up against them.