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Sunday pits two NFC East rivals against each other for the 2nd time this season. The Giants lead the all time series 99-68-4, but the Redskins won the earlier matchup this season 20-13 in New York.
The Giants surprised everyone with a 30-27 win over the Bears last weekend. In week 11, they beat the Buccaneers 38-35, and lost 25-22 to the Eagles in week 12.
The Redskins dropped their 3rd straight in a 13-28 loss on Monday night to the Eagles. in week 11, they lost 23-21 to the Texans and lost 31-23 to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
BetOnline has the Giants as 3.5 point favourites on the road with an O/U of 41.
New York Giants
Eli Manning has been efficient and safe with the ball for the most part, but definitely is not running the Giants offense to it’s fullest extent. Manning has thrown for 3263 yards, 15 TDs and 8 INTs while completing 67.9% of his passes and averaging 7.5 YPA. Odell Beckham Jr., despite the down QB play, has been fantastic, reining in 77 catches for 1052 yards and 6 TDs. Sterling Shepard has been effective as well, catching 52 balls for 638 yards and 3 TDs. Saquon Barkley is a true dual threat out of the backfield, catching 74 balls for 604 yards and 4 TDs as well as rushing 195 times for 954 yards and 8 TDs.
The Giants defense is near the bottom of the league, allowing 26.2 PPG. Their pass defense is 20th, allowing 252.8 yards per game and 17 TDs through the air, while their pass rush ranks 2nd to last with 19 sacks. Their run defense ranks below average as they are giving up 124.9 yards per game and 12 TDs on the ground. the Giants have forced 16 turnovers on the year, and own a +3 turnover differential.
Injuries and Inactive Watch
WR Sterling Shepard (ribs) – questionable, S Landon Collins (shoulder) – doubtful, TE Evan Engram (hamstring) – questionable
Washington Redskins
The Redskins are now on their 3rd quarterback of the season due to the season ending injury to Colt McCoy on Monday night vs The Eagles. Mark Sanchez took over, and was lackluster with 100 yards and an interception on 13/21 passing. Tight end Jordan Reed continues to be their most effective receiver, catching 54 balls for 554 yards and 2 TDs, while wideout Josh Doctson has caught 35 balls for 385 yards and 2 TDs. Adrian Peterson continues to turn back the clock, churning out a 90 yard TD run last week to bring his season totals to 856 yards and 7 TDs on 192 carries.
The Redskins defense is top 10 in scoring, allowing just 21.4 PPG. Washington’s pass defense is near the bottom of the league, allowing 264.7 yards per game and 20 TDs through the air, and their pass rush ranks middle of the pack with 32 sacks. Their run defense is top 10, giving up just 102.8 yards per game and 10 TDs on the ground. The Redskins have forced 22 turnovers on the year, and own a +9 turnover differential.
Injuries and Inactive Watch
QB Colt McCoy (leg) – out, CB Quinton Dunbar (shin) – questionable, WR Trey Quinn (ankle) – questionable
Predictions
The Giants offense, as we know, has playmakers all over. It’s just a matter of whether or not Eli can get them the ball. The Washington defense is solid, but nothing should scare them one on one against Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham. Over the course of a game, the Giants with Eli do not have the potential to blow anyone out however.
With Mark Sanchez now leading the Redskins, the ceiling for this offense is a bit hard to predict. The good news is he draws a soft matchup in the Giants defense to find his footing. Don’t expect the Redskins to dive too deep into the playbook this week, but James Bettcher and the Giants defense could throw some loops to knock Sanchez off balance. While the Redskins aren’t inspiring much confidence with a 3rd string quarterback, the Giants have given no reason this season to be favored by a field goal.
Final Pick: Redskins (+3.5)
