Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants Betting Odds and Picks
Raj J - January 8th, 2009 .Bitter NFC East division rivals meet for a spot in the NFC championship game on Sunday when the streaking Philadelphia Eagles visit the top-seeded New York Giants.
Most sportsbooks set the opening line in favor of the Giants at -4.5 but the spread has dropped to -4. On the surface it may seem surprising that the NFC and arguably the NFL’s top team would be such a short favorite at home in its playoff opener but a deeper look proves it to be justified.
Just a month ago in Week 13 a desperate Eagles (10-6-1, 11-6 ATS) team came into the Meadowlands and thoroughly outplayed the Giants in a 20-14 win, a game in which the only Giants points came on a blocked field goal return and a meaningless touchdown with just seconds left in the contest.
Since then New York (12-4, 12-4 ATS) lost two of its final three games and barely eked out a win in the other. In the process, leading rusher Brandon Jacobs suffered a knee injury that is still hobbling him (he is expected to play on Sunday) and lost cornerback Sam Madison for the season with a leg injury. And of course there’s the noticeable absence of star wide receiver Plaxico Burress who made life much more difficult for the rest of the offense after being suspended by the team. Early in the season the Giants looked like world-beaters but their late-season struggles have exposed some weaknesses.
Philadelphia meanwhile finished the season on a roll, winning four of its final five games to sneak into the playoffs. Its clinching win came at the expense of the Dallas Cowboys in what set up to be a battle for the NFC’s final postseason spot. The Eagles turned the showdown into a laugher, though, winning 44-6. And then just last week, Donovan McNabb and an aggressive defense led Philadelphia to a hard-fought 26-14 win in Minnesota against the NFC North-champion Vikings. In just a few weeks, the Eagles went from a team in turmoil with an uncertain future to a legitimate threat in the NFC playoffs.
This should be an absolute battle, as most NFC East matchups tend to be. But with greater stakes comes an even greater intensity, which should bring out the best in both clubs. The Giants are certainly the more talented, balanced team on both sides of the ball, mixing a bruising ground attack with an effective passing game led by Eli Manning, and Justin Tuck and Antonio Pierce make the defensive unit one to be reckoned with, especially at home. But the Eagles are the hotter team and have momentum clearly on their side, while the Giants have struggled to find the groove they enjoyed earlier in the season. Jim Johnson has the Philadelphia defense dialed in and should harass Manning into some mistakes, while McNabb and the always-dangerous Brian Westbrook should move the ball with a little more ease. First the Mets now the Giants; on Sunday, Philadelphia is going to continue to make life miserable for New Yorkers.
Pick: Philadelphia
