Thursday Night Football Betting Odds Week 3: Redskins vs. Giants
Carrie Stroup here with your Thursday Night Football betting odds for Week 3 and the Redskins vs. Giants game. Sportsbook.ag Line: New York -4, Total: 44
WASHINGTON REDSKINS (1-1) at NEW YORK GIANTS (0-2)
NFC East rivals take center stage on Thursday Night Football when the winless Giants host the 1-1 Redskins.
Kirk Cousins and RB Matt Jones led Washington to a surprising win over St. Louis in Week 2 while QB Eli Manning and the Giants were busy making history by becoming the first NFL team to start 0-2 after holding double-digit leads in each fourth quarter. But New York has a favorable matchup on Thursday having won four straight and five of the last six SU against the Redskins.
Since the beginning of 2008, the Giants have held their division foe to just 13.9 PPG over 14 meetings including four games in single digits, going 11-3 SU in those contests. In his 21 career games against Washington, Manning is 13-8 ATS and has covered the spread in each of the past four matchups. More good news for the Giants, is that in the past five seasons, teams coming off wins as a home dog win like the Redskins this week, are 43-82 ATS (34%) in the following contest. However, it's not all bleak for Washington, considering road underdogs (or pick) after allowing 5.5 or less YPA in two straight games against an opponent after allowing 7+ YPA in two straight games are a hefty 42-16 ATS (72%).
Injuries abound in this contest with New York missing DE Jason Pierre-Paul (hand) with several others listed as questionable for Thursday including starting LB Jon Beason (knee) and Pro Bowl CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (concussion). The Redskins have several players listed as questionable as well, including LB Perry Riley (calf), CB Justin Rogers (foot) and CB Chris Culliver who’s returning from suspension.
After a pair of home games to start the season, the Redskins hit the road for three of the next four, beginning with this all-important divisional matchup. They need to continue to value the football and feed their tandem of running backs to take pressure off QB Kirk Cousins. He hasn’t been spectacular thus far, but only Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers are ahead of Cousins in completion percentage league-wide.
Washington’s offense isn’t flashy, currently ranked 28th in scoring and 27th in passing, but this team can flat-out run the rock. Head coach Jay Gruden’s offense leads the NFL in rushing at 171.5 YPG, going for 161 and 182 in their first two games against what many thought would be two stout defenses (Miami and St. Louis). They’re the only team with a 100-yard rusher in both games this year, have the league's No. 3 scoring defense, No. 1 total defense, and sit second in time of possession thanks to the ground game. These are all great things for the quarterback on a team missing major weapons like WR DeSean Jackson (hamstring) and TE Niles Paul (leg).
RBs Alfred Morris and Matt Jones have been the backbone of the only offense, while WR Pierre Garcon will continue to see an increased workload with Jackson sidelined. Look for Garcon and TE Jordan Reed to have big games for Washington if they have success through the air against a suspect Giants pass defense.
The defensive unit is greater as a sum than its individual components might suggest. Washington starts only a pair of former first round picks for new defensive coordinator Joe Barry, who looks to take advantage of a reeling Giants’ squad.
New York’s start is a bit of a head scratcher, as the club has turned the ball over only once while forcing three miscues. The team ranks 3rd in fewest penalty yards per game, 4th in third-down pct., and boast the league’s 3rd-ranked rushing defense as well. The biggest problem for veteran defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit is the complete lack of a pass rush. Not too long ago, the Giants had such a dominant defensive front they had a fancy nickname and a Super Bowl ring to go with it. In that 2011 season, they were tied for 3rd in the league with 48 sacks, the next two seasons saw them plummet into the bottom-10 in the NFL. With only two sacks thus far in 2015, the team is tied for 24th in the league, and the trickle-down effect is staggering. The Giants are dead last against the pass and sit 31st in both total defense and first downs allowed.
Over the past three seasons, New York is 0-6 ATS the week after allowing 300+ passing yards, something it has done in both games of 2015. The lack of takeaways is also an issue. Since 2010, the Giants defense has been top-10 in takeaways every season, this year they sit in the middle of the pack at 15th. Forcing turnovers can mask your other defensive deficiencies and this team better get back to that style of football before it’s too late.
The offense is also affected by the lack of a pass rush, as the Giants are 29th in time of possession and tied for 24th in first downs (18.5 per game). Look for New York to try and get its own running game rolling again, as Washington is 1-5 ATS in the past three seasons when allowing 75-to-100 rushing yards. RB Rashad Jennings hasn’t looked like himself in the first two weeks, but talented backup RBs Shane Vereen and Andre Williams are more than capable of a quality effort.
