Houston Texans (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS) vs. New York Giants (0-2 SU, 0-2 ATS)
NFL Week 3
Date and Time: Sunday, September 21, 1:00pm EST
Where: MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, NJ
TV: CBS
by Bob, Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: HOU -2.5 / NYG +2.5
Over/Under Total:42
This Sunday at 1:00pm, the Houston Texans will invade East Rutherford to take on the New York Football Giants. Houston comes into this game at 2-0, while New York sits winless at 0-2. The Giants open as home underdogs, and the total points posted are 42. Houston being a favorite traveling halfway across the nation for a 1:00pm game tells me that Vegas and/or the general public have no faith in the Giants. As for records against the spread, they are identical to each teams overall record. The Houston Texans have covered in both contests, while the Giants have disappointed…just like they have for the past two seasons. This is an interesting point spread and it is one of those that can lead some gamblers in the exact wrong direction. Lets break this thing down and do our best to be on the winning side of this one!!
Although Eli Manning claims that this Giants team is better than last year’s team that started 0-6, I just do not see it. The Giants have already lost games to the Lions and the Cardinals, who are two very good teams, but the G-Men were not even really competitive in either contest…that is the part that concerns me. Sometimes you can lose a game but show that you are a good team. The Giants have yet to play a game that made me say: “Oh ok, these guys are good.” Statistically, the Giants are bad. They rank 21st in passing offense, and 29th in rushing yards. They have scored just 14 points in each game (35-14 vs Lions and 25-14 vs Cardinals). Eli Manning is picking up exaclty where he left off last season. In 2013, Eli threw 27 interceptions, and already through two games in 2014 he sits at four picks thrown. Now, all those picks were not Manning’s fault, but come one….27??? This must change and fast. Not only do the Giants have issues passing, the running attack is limited too. Rashad Jennings has shown flashes that he can run, but he is still sitting at just 110 total yards on the ground on 24 carries (3.2 avg per carry). If the Giants are going to show everyone that they are better than last season, they need to win this game in a big way. Being home underdogs should fire them up enough to play their best game of the young season. If the Giants lose this game, or if they lost without even competing, I think some changes will be coming in the near future for the entire New York Giants franchise.
Last season we saw the Houston Texans jump out to a 2-0 start. What happened next was pure failure. Fourteen straight losses. The implosion however led to the Texans drafting the best defensive player in the draft, Jadeveon Clowney, with the first pick. Now, Clowney will miss about 4-6 weeks with an injury, and the Houston defense is not as strong as many predicted, but they are still getting wins. Through two weeks, the Texans defense ranks 24th in the NFL against the pass, and 19th against the run. I would not get into panic mode just yet if I was Houston, but those numbers are going to have to get a little better if they want to compete for the AFC South title this season. Offensivley, Houston has ran the ball well, ranking 8th in the entire NFL with over 150 yards a game on the ground, but the passing threat needs to become more of a …threat. “Led” by Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Texans passing game is sputtering. He has completed just 28 passes in two games for 345 yards. I believe there were 5 or 6 QB’s who had that many yards after week one alone. I don’t know what the issue is, but I think Matt Schaub is laughing somewhere. If the Texans are going to go into New York and get the road win, they are going to have to pass the ball better. The other key is to just play good solid defense. If they can pressure Eli Manning into 2 more picks (which he is always good for), Houston could erase last season’s failure and go to 3-0.
Bob’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: I do not like this line and I hate this match-up. I can see this game going either way. If Eli throws 4 interceptions and the Giants lose 45-0, I would not be stunned. If the Giants come out gunning and beat Houston 24-10, heck, I will not be shocked at that either. As of now, it looks like 68% or so of the action is on the Houston Texans. The public is very caught up in the JJ Watt love (which he is a great player), and the fact that Eli and the Giants have flat stunk so far. I am going to take a major chance here. As much as I think Houston is a better team than New York on paper, I think the Giants, led by Eli Manning comes out and gets a good win. I see the Giants jumping out early and eventually holding on for a 28-24 type win. I cannot explain it, but that is just how the NFL is. The travel, the weather/temperature, and just being on the road will slow down Houston enough for the Giants to grab their first win of 2014. PICK THE NEW YORK GIANTS +2.5 AND ALSO TAKE OVER THE POSTED TOTAL OF 42 POINTS!!!