The New York Giants are hopeful that last week’s win can help them jumpstart their season as they host the New Orleans Saints in Week 4. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 EST on Sunday, September 30, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Fans in local markets can see the game on CBS.
Oddsmakers are listing the Saints as 3.5-point favorites on the road. The over/under for the game is listed at 50 points. Click here to check out a full list of this week’s NFL odds.
The Saints got off to their usual slow start this season, but they appear to have gotten past it without too much damage done. After a Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers, New Orleans survived a home game against the Browns in Week 2 before going on the road last week to knock off the Falcons in overtime. Despite having the worst defense in the NFL through three weeks, Drew Brees and the New Orleans offense have been good enough to overcome such an obvious weakness.
Of course, the NFC South has two other teams that sit at 2-1 and appear to have four teams that are good enough to compete for a playoff spot. That will keep the Saints under a great deal of pressure to keep winning every week. That task becomes all the more difficult with a defense that has looked so porous early in the season.
The Giants, meanwhile, may have saved their season last week with a road win against the Texans. Even with a new head coach and key players like Odell Beckham Jr. returning from injury, the same problems that have plagued the Giants in recent years are still holding them back.
However, the Giants were able to pick up an important road win last week and now head home with a chance to get to 2-2 on the season. With a brutal schedule on the horizon in October, this week’s game may be just as important as last week’s game. Falling to 1-3 with the Panthers, Eagles, and Falcons as their next three games would be potentially disastrous for the Giants.
First, let’s agree that both of these teams have incredible flaws. I have no doubt that the Saints have a higher ceiling than the Giants. However, it’s tough to swallow more than a field goal for a team that could easily be 0-3 this season. That’s not to say I love the Giants, because I have serious questions about them as well. However, the Giants are capable of exposing New Orleans’ weaknesses and making this game close. I’ll take a chance with the Giants and the points in this game.
New York’s biggest problem right now is their offensive line, a problem they’ve had for years. In just three games, Eli Manning has already been sacked 12 times. The Giants have also struggled to develop a consistent running game behind rookie Saquon Barkley. That being said, I’m not sure the New Orleans defense can take full advantage of that. The Saints have just six sacks in three games, with Cameron Jordan responsible for four of them. If the Giants can devise a plan to keep Jordan contained, they can give Manning the time he needs to operate.
If Manning has time in the pocket, he has the weapons to expose a porous New Orleans defense. Beckham could potentially run wild against the Saints, especially with Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram also posing a threat to a team giving up 34 points per game. I also can’t discount the possibility of Barkley being able to break off a long run or become a difference maker in the short passing game. Even if the consistency isn’t there yet, Barkley still has big-play ability.
Of course, I have no doubt that Brees and the Saints are also capable of creating big plays and putting points on the board. The Giants have been decent defensively this year, but they had some trouble the 2nd half against Houston last week. The Texans are the closest thing New York’s defense has seen this season to a team with the playmakers that the Saints have.
However, keep in mind that the Saints have been a little one-dimensional this year. They haven’t generated a consistent running game with Mark Ingram suspended. Also, the Browns were able to limit them to 21 points, with most of them coming in the 4th quarter. Meanwhile, a weak Tampa Bay defense and banged up Atlanta defense both struggled, so the Saints have been a little fortunate in their schedule thus far. The Giants may some talent in the secondary, which could be enough to slow up the New Orleans offense, allowing them to keep the game close.
To be honest, the over on 50 points may be the best bet here, as neither team is likely to play much defense. With regard to the spread, I have trouble leaning toward New Orleans to cover more than a field goal. The Saints are too atrocious defensively for me to believe that they’ll be able to maintain a comfortable lead in this game. Much like Tampa Bay and Atlanta, the Giants have the playmakers to score at will against the Saints. I’ll take my chances with the underdog Giants in this game.