New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Monday, 10/25/2010, 8:30 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Dallas -3
Current Betting Line: Dallas -3
Opening Total: 44.5
Current Total: 44
Current Moneyline: Dallas -190 / New York +160
Dallas has a 1-4 overall mark this season and has dropped both games at home, a stadium that many believed the team would be playing the Super Bowl in come February. “I believe in these guys, I believe in the coaching staff, I believe in Wade Phillips,” said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. “I believe we can turn things around.” The Cowboys tote the third-best offense and fourth-best defense in the NFL this season, but they haven’t been able to overcome 62 penalties. The squad is on pace for 157 penalties for 1,293 penalty yards. “We realize the penalties are hurting us,” said Phillips. “We are trying to do everything we can.” Dallas leads the series against the Giants, 55-38-2, but New York has won two straight meetings and four of the last five. The team has an 0-3 ATS mark as a favorite this season and is 2-7 ATS in its last nine October games.
The Cowboys out-gained Minnesota by 126 yards in Sunday’s 24-21 defeat and quarterback Tony Romo knows that the team must gain a victory in primetime. “We have to play well this weekend to win, to beat these guys,” Romo said. “I think that it would be an important stepping stone going in the right direction for the rest of the season.” Dallas’ offensive line better step up to the challenge of facing the Giants defensive line, especially Justin Tuck, considering New York has won 14 consecutive games when he records a sack. Since the NFL went to a six-team postseason in 1990, only five of 97 teams that started 1-4 made the playoffs.
New York may be coming in with a superior 4-2 overall record, but no one in the locker room is taking Monday night’s opponent for granted. “They’re definitely no 1-4 team,” said Giants running back Brandon Jacobs. “This is a good football team that we’re lining up against that has been one play away from being 5-0, so we know that’s in front of us.” The Giants are poised to head into the bye week with a 5-2 mark and drop the Cowboys to an 0-2 record in the division. New York plays with extreme confidence this time of the year and no statistic displays that more than quarterback Eli Manning’s stellar 19-4 mark in October starts in his career, which is the best among Super Bowl era signal-callers. The team is 7-4 ATS in October over the last three years.
The Giants come in on a three-game winning streak and has been relying heavily on a defense that is limiting foes to an NFC-best 264.8 yards per game. New York’s defensive line has been key to the unit’s success, with Osi Umenyiora leading the charge. The two-time Pro Bowler has seven sacks and six forced fumbles over his last three games. “Osi has played well and he’s made up his mind to play well,” said head coach Tom Coughlin. Offensively, the team is led by running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who ranks third in the league with 582 yards. He has averaged just 4.3 carries in seven career games against the Cowboys, but in six games this season he has averaged 18.3 rushes per game.
Bettors will be very interested in grabbing the points in this high-profile matchup due to the Giants 12-3-1 ATS mark in their last 16 games as a road underdog of 0.5-to-3 points. Dallas is 3-1 ATS as a home favorite of three points or less.
Maddux Sports is coming off another winning Sunday including winning our 20 unit NFL Sunday Night Game of the Year on Green Bay -2.5 and we are now on a 67% NFL Picks run. For Monday we have 1 solid winner in the Giants/Dallas game. Visit the NFL sports picks page and finish off week 7 on a winning note.
