Washington at New York Giants
Time: NOON (FOX)
Spread: NYG -2.5
Total: 43
Odds c/o 5dimes
The New York Giants enter 0-5 this week as it hosts the Washington Football team. It finds itself a rare favorite at NFL Oddsmakers sites, clocking in as 2.5-point favorites as Washington enters with its own pitiful 1-4 mark. The over/under is set at 43 points, and the game will air at Noon (EST) on FOX Sunday.
NYG
The New York Giants have few reasons for real optimism at 0-5. It has been outscored 81-133 through five games, and with a pass offense ranking in the bottom-five and a rush offense ranking even worse, the Giants just have not been able to get much offense going at all. It also ranks No. 31 in scoring at just 16.2 points per game. All this, while having a middle-of-the-pack defense, has meant nothing but ugly losses for the Giants.
Starting with the poor play of an inexperienced QB in Daniel Jones, the offense really has not been able to manage much. Jones is throwing 61 percent for completion, but he averages just 6.1 yards-per-reception and has thrown five interceptions already (with just two TDs). His passer rating of 70.6 hardly inspires the confidence the Giants felt when they selected him out of Duke.
Beyond that, Jones is also the team’s best rusher, and perhaps that is the brightest spot in an otherwise abysmal season for New York. Jones averages 6.5 yards-per-carry and he has rushed 20 times through five games. The problem is that the team’s lead rusher Devonta Freeman is averaging just half that, at 3.1 per-carry and he has managed just one touchdown this season and a mere six first downs. Wayne Gallman has some shreds of promise, but he has carried an average of just three per game.
The top-performer overall for the Giants has undoubtedly been wide receiver Darius Clayton. He has caught 23 passes (though targeted 40 times!) for 365 yards and both of the receiving touchdowns. The only other two to top 100 yards are Tight end Evan Engram and No. 2 slot receiver Golden Tate.
WAS
The Washington Redskins are just 1-4 this season and 0-2 on the road where it plays this week. The team has had its problems since its week 1 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. It has lost by an average of 15.7 points over the last four weeks, with last week has come in the form of a 10-30 loss to the L.A. Rams.
Washington ranks in the bottom-five of both passing and rushing offense, while also managing just 17.8 points per game (30th). The defense has been very good, but it has hardly been enough. Defensively, the Washington Team holds its opponents to just 28.4 per game, which ranks in a tie for No. 11 in the NFL.
The issues on offense begin with an inexperienced but talented Dwayne Haskins in the pocket. He has thrown 61 percent for completion on 939 passing yards but has also thrown four picks and been sacked 13 times for a massive loss of 101 yards. Haskins also has not done well rushing, averaging just 2.3 yards-per-carry with 19 of his 30 yards this season all had come on one play. Antonio Gibson has been decent at Running back, with 213 yards and three touchdowns—but he has had almost no help with Peyton Barber unable to generate much of anything.
Wide Receiver Terry McLaurin has carried a weak pass offense. He has generated 413 yards and one touchdown, but outside of his production, no one even tops 125 total yards. Beyond that, the No. 2 and No. 3 receivers are both haling from the backfield in JD McKissic and Antonio Gibson. Washington has some promising developments, to be sure, but most of those “promises” linger into next season after Haskins develops and the team begins to get more backfield production and better play diversity.
