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Carolina Panthers at New York Giants NFL Odds & Picks

Written by Jimmy Boyd

panthers-giants

There are a lot of big games this week but perhaps none are bigger than the Panthers at Giants Sunday Night Football matchup to decide which team will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. With both teams knotted at 11-3, the winner will gain NFC supremacy while the loser may still be in a situation where they would have to clinch a first-round bye in Week 17. The odds makers have spoken, listing the Giants as 3-point favorites with the total set at 37.5.

After looking untouchable through the season’s first 12 games, the Giants have gone down in back-to-back weeks to division rivals Philadelphia and Dallas. While New York already has the division sewed up, it would like to take a little momentum into the postseson. Despite its last two defeats, it has been a great NFL betting season for New York Giants backers. The G-men have beaten the NFL odds in 10 of 14 games this season. They will have home field advantage on their side this week where they are 6-1 straight up and 5-2 against the number in 2008.

The good news for the Giants this week is that they should have star running back Brandon Jacobs back on the field. The 6-4, 265-pound workhorse has 1,002 yards this season and was instrumental in New York’s Super Bowl run last year. But it won’t matter who is running the football if the Giants offensive line does not do a better job of blocking. New York is largely considered to have one of the best offensive lines in the league but it was dominated by Dallas last Sunday Night. In addition to not creating much running room, the five-man contingent allowed quarterback Eli Manning to be sacked eight times. In the previous 13 games, he had been dropped only 15 times. Right tackle Kareem McKenzie left last week’s game with a back problem and Left guard Rich Seubert was incapacitated by illness. He should be ready to go this week but it is uncertain if McKenzie will get the nod. I’ll say this, if Eli Manning plays well, the Giants will win. Manning had a poor game statistically against the Cowboys completing 18 of 35 passes for 191 yards, two interceptions, zero TDs and finished with a passer rating of 43.9. New York’s defense could hold the other key to victory this week. No team in the NFL brings as much heat as Giants and Jake Delhomme has been rattle often enough this season. If you like New York to enter the playoffs as the NFC’s No. 1 seed, bet the Giants at -3 at BetUS.

The Panthers have the benefit of bringing momentum into this game with three straight wins, including a big ones over division rival Tampa Bay and AFC West-leading Denver. NFL picks on the Panthers have been solid this season with Carolina going 8-5-1 against the number. The Panthers are 3-0 straight up and against the spread coming into this one and have history on their side. The Panthers own a 3-1 straight up and against the spread mark in the all-time series, including a 2-0 record in New York.

The Panthers running attack has thrived this season and that was once again the case in Week 15. The Broncos did everything they could to keep Carolina from getting off on the ground, but the Panthers still managed to control the game with 147 yards. New York will surely have its hands full with the tailback duo of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams Sunday. The other offensive weapon the Giants will have to stop is wide receiver Steve Smith. Smith was open all day long against the Broncos finishing with 165 yards and a score. The Panthers gave the G-Men something else to think about this week by showing some no-huddle looks to Denver. It kept the Broncos off balance giving them less time to prepare for each subsequent down. If you think Carolina is getting hot at the right time, bet the Panthers at +3 at BetUS.

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