Philadelphia Eagles (11-2 SU, 10-3 ATS) vs. New York Giants (2-11 SU, 5-8 ATS)
NFL Week 15
Date/Time: Sunday, December 17th, 2017 1:00 PM EST
Where: MetLife Stadium East Rutherford, NJ
TV: FOX
by Keith, Expert Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: PHI -7.5/NYG +7.5
Over/Under Total: 40
The New York Giants will once again curate hosting duties at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey to take on yet another one of their most hated rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. The G-Men will be looking to win this one for civic pride and morale as the Eagles have already clinched the NFC East with their victory last weekend. The two teams last met earlier this season in the City of Brotherly Love and Big Blue were edged out by the Eagles by a score of 27-24 at Lincoln Financial Field. Overall, the Eagles have won seven of the previous ten against the G-Men. The game is set to kick off at 1:00 PM EST and will be aired on FOX.
Two weeks ago Giants supporters and most of America expressed profound disgust in the unexpected benching of franchise quarterback Eli Manning. As covered previously, the benching of Manning ended a streak that he held with the most consecutive starts in franchise history. In spite of the personnel management initiative, the Giants fell at Oakland by a score of 24-17, ultimately resulting in the firing of defunct Head Coach Ben McAdoo. Big Blue would follow this up with a grisly loss at home against the Dallas Cowboys, last Sunday. Americas Team would burn up the Giants in the Meadowlands in what was nothing short of a rout. The final would be 30-10. However, as we have also covered recently despite the poor track record on the year, the Giants do own two impressive wins. The first came in Denver when the G-Men were a 13.5-point pooch where they shocked the Broncos. The most recent came in the Meadowlands when the Giants stunned the Chiefs in overtime as a double-digit dog. This game has a feeling it can produce a similar result given the connotation of the rivalry and the vulnerability the Eagles currently display.
The Eagles may have won the East or the battle for that matter, but in ghastly fashion they may have lost the war or their post-season ceiling. The Eagles confirmed that their starting quarterback Carson Wentz will be shelved for the remainder of the season due to an ACL tear. This turn of events undoubtedly sent shockwaves throughout the organization, fan base, and the city of Philadelphia itself as he was the architect and engine of the Eagles catalytic offense. With Wentz going down, the playoff outlook for this franchise is that much bleaker. With the Eagles needing to hold serve and continue to win to secure a bye and/or potential home field advantage throughout the playoffs, this game becomes of exceptional importance to Philly.
From the start, we have noticed a lean on the Giants. This revealed by a half-point line move downward. However, analytics indicate that all the action is on Dallas. The Eagles have 69% of the cash and 76% of the tickets booked with them. On the contrary, the consensus remains split down the middle. In Over/Under markets, the number has remained idle at 40 despite extensive action on the Over. An incredible 96% of the cash and 73% of the tickets have been placed on the Over in this market.
As we have stated in previous analyses, no one wants a piece of the Giants at this point and that affords us the probability of snagging some inflated points. This is especially true when the consideration of the Giants opponent is taken into consideration. However, rivalry games produce the unexpected and the Eagles are their most important weapon. A victory here may very well be the last hurrah for Eli Manning in a New York Giants uniform. A triumph here would only add to his renowned legacy. Chances are the Giants faithful and many of his teammates want to see such a feat. Thus, New York is not only worth a look against the spread but also could be this weeks steal on the Money Line. The Giants have nothing to lose and everything to gain against an opponent likely reeling from hard luck. Philadelphia will be distracted heading into this contest and that puts them on upset alert.
Keith’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: NEW YORK GIANTS +7.5. Bet your pick for this game using your credit card at an online bookie where it WILL work for deposits and where you’ll receive a generous 50% signup bonus on your first deposit of $100 to $250! (Example: Deposit $250 and they’ll give you an extra $250 FREE!) Find this great offer at Bovada Sportsbook.
