Detroit Lions at New York Giants
Sunday, 10/17/10, 1:00 PM EDT, TV: FOX
Opening Point Spread: New York -10
Current Betting Line: New York -10
Opening Total: 44.5
Current Total: 44.5
Current Moneyline: New York -550 / Detroit +450
Detroit is searching for its first road win since October 28, 2007 and bring in the league’s top scoring offense. The Lions are coming off a convincing 44-6 home win over the Rams, which was also their first victory of the season. Backup quarterback Shaun Hill is likely to make his last start in replacement of second-year starter Matthew Stafford (shoulder), but has done well in leading the offense to an NFC-best 25.2 points. It’s a remarkable improvement from the 16.4 points per game the team scored in 2009 when they finished 2-14. He completed 21 of 32 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns in the club’s most lopsided win in 15 years. “It was a long time coming,” center Dominic Raiola said. “We know what we’re capable of. It’s just one win, but it’s sweet.” The team is 4-1 ATS this season and the total is 3-2 Over/Under in those contests.
The Lions focus this week has been solely placed on a Giants team that has won its last two games by 14 and 24 points respectively. Detroit’s ground game must step up to ease the pressure on its offensive line to protect Hill, as the Giants have posted 19 sacks in five games. “When you see that, it’s going to open your eyes a little bit,” coach Jim Schwartz said. “That’s going to be a big matchup in this game. When the Giants get sacks, they get wins.” On the other side of the ball, the Lions must force turnovers to stay in this contest, which is a possibility due to the Giants being second in the league with 15 giveaways. “First, we’re going to focus on stopping the run,” defensive tackle Corey Williams said. “Once we stop the run, we can force some interceptions.”
New York is searching for its first home victory in this matchup in nearly 20 years and look to build off an impressive 34-10 road win over the Texans last week. The Giants defense is currently ranked first in the NFL, allowing 244.6 yards a game, but it doesn’t mean too much due to last season’s results. In 2009, the team had the league’s top-ranked unit entering the 10th game, only to finish the season tied for 13th in yards allowed and 30th in scoring defense. New York gave up just 110 total yards to the Bears and 195 in Houston, marking the first time its allowed less than 200 yards in consecutive games in one season since 2005. The club is 22-16 ATS over the last three years and the total is 22-15 O/U in those games.
The Giants have a balanced offensive attack and quarterback Eli Manning has a fantastic 18-4 mark in October. New York did a great job of protecting him last week against the Texans, not allowing a sack, which pushed the team’s record to 12-5 in games of that nature. He was able to find Hakeem Nicks down field throughout the day, as the second-year wide receiver had 12 catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns. “You never know who’s going to have the hot day,” Manning said. “I don’t have favorites and I don’t pick guys out.” Running back Ahmad Bradshaw has also turned into a weapon, leading the NFL with seven runs of 20 or more yards, while he is fourth in the NFL with 449 rushing yards.
Bettors will certainly note the Lions 2-0 mark as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points this season, which is an improvement from the team’s 1-8 mark in this spot the previous two years. New York is a solid 13-8 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points and the total is 10-10 O/U.
