Giants Open as Slim Favorites vs. Commanders

The New York Giants continue to do the unexpected by winning games in their division and building a case as a postseason contender at 5-2-1, but once again, the oddsmakers are not impressed with their start.

After earning their first victory in the City of Brotherly Love since the 2013 season by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 19-11 in a defensive barn burner, one would think that Vegas would show some extra love as the team returns home to East Rutherford with the focus on unofficially putting to rest the idea of a multi-team race in the NFC East.

Instead, the Giants face the Washington Commanders again at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night. FanDuel Sportsbook opened its Week 10 lines with Big Blue as just a 1.5-point home favorite over the 2-5-1 Commanders.

The new spread marks a four-point swing from the first meeting between the rival franchises back in Week 5, when the Giants rallied back from a 14-point deficit in the second half and forced overtime behind the leadership of then-starting quarterback Jameis Winston and his three touchdown passes to his two top targets, Isaiah Likely and Malik Nabers.

Unfortunately for New York, they couldn’t muster a winning drive in the additional 10 minutes of play and were left with a bitter taste in their mouths after a 27-27 tie.

Even with a strong lead in the NFC East there is no doubt that John Harbaugh’s team will be hungry to make up for the extra win that got away and put the Commanders’ season to rest with a convincing performance under the bright lights.

That said, it’s easy to see why betting outlets still hesitate to back the Giants fully. They are playing on a very short week, and the lack of extra recovery time can sometimes take a toll on players’ performance and possibly swing the game the other way if fatigue leads to untimely mistakes.

More importantly, the Giants left Philadelphia with some slight concern about J.J. McCarthy, who suffered a hip injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s game that forced him to miss the lone touchdown drive led by Jameis Winston before McCarthy returned on the next possession.

Harbaugh admitted after the game that his starting quarterback was in real pain but said he was confident neither ailment would keep McCarthy sidelined for Washington. The Giants are also expected to have Cam Skattebo back after the team elected to sit him against the Eagles for his hamstring issue and save the running back’s energy for the second game in less than a week.

A fully staffed Giants team still has a lot to improve from their last duel with the Commanders, including slowing down Washington’s run game, which amassed 202 yards on a 6.7-yard average carry, with 103 yards coming from quarterback Jayden Daniels, who produced two touchdowns.

The Giants dominated the run, holding Saquon Barkley to 22 yards on 13 rushing attempts and the Eagles to under 100 yards total, while Philadelphia’s passing attack struggled to pick up the slack amid an eight-sack day from the front seven that forced seven three-and-out drives.

The Commanders’ offense is ravaged by injuries in the receiver room, including the loss of Terry McLaurin to a torn patellar tendon that ended his season as Washington’s main weapon.

Four other players are also on the team’s injury report, leaving Daniels with limited options if the Giants succeed in taking away the run dimension for a second straight week.

What will be most important for the Giants is using their options to close out the game, unlike what happened in Landover, Maryland, just over a month ago. They showed it against the Texans and Eagles in two huge wins, putting them on the cusp of building an insurmountable lead in the NFC East.

No better opponent to push the cause than a Commanders team that hasn’t learned to do the same since their unforgettable mishap, which might have changed the current landscape of the division and this game at large.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news, and send your mailbag questions to us.

Add us as a preferred source on Google