The New York Giants (4-3) go up against the New Orleans Saints (3-4) at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome this week. A player to watch is the NFL’s fourth-leading passer, Drew Brees (1,871 yards, 8 TDs). New Orleans has had a subpar season, but has shown signs of life lately, winning three of its last five. The game starts at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov 1 and can be seen on FOX.
New Orleans beat the Colts 27-21 last week. Mark Ingram had an outstanding performance on the ground in the win, gaining 143 yards and one TD on 14 carries. New York also picked up the win last week, beating the Cowboys 27-20. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie led the New York defense, registering two tackles and two interceptions.
The Saints, a three-point favorite, will be looking to defend their home field when New York visits. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is 49 points.
The Saints enter the game with records of 3-4 Straight Up (SU) and 4-3 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. In the past five games, New Orleans is 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS. New Orleans sets the tone offensively with its passing attack, which averages a league-best 297.1 yards per game. As for the New Orleans defense, there are important areas to keep an eye on. New Orleans’s defense should have an easy time against the Giants’ 26th ranked passing game, which averages 95.6 passing yards per away game. If the game is close late, the Saints may have an edge. New York finishes games poorly, giving up 10.6 points per game in the fourth quarter. Mistakes and a lack of focus may be factors that benefit the Saints in the game. The Giants are one of the league’s most penalized teams on the road with 9.3 flags per game.
As for their opponent, the Giants have a record of 4-3 for both ATS and SU. In the previous five games, New York has a record of 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS. If New Orleans’s earlier games are any indication, the Giants should throw the ball often on offense. The Saints allow 275.7 passing yards per game, 26th in the NFL. Shifting to the other side of the ball, the New York defense can dominate if it takes advantage of some favorable matchups. The Giants run defense makes opponents earn every yard, allowing 3.5 yards per rush on the road. The Saints will have to avoid mistakes against the turnover-minded Giants. The New York defense generates 2.3 turnovers per game, fourth in the league. The Saints defense has started second halves slowly. They allow a league-worst 8.4 points in the third quarter. Given New Orleans’s tendencies, this game could come down to penalties. The Saints have been one of the most penalized teams in the NFL this year, with 71 penalty yards per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – NYG, ATS Winner – NYG, O/U – Under
Notes
New Orleans is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games at home.
New Orleans is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home.
New Orleans is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans’s last 6 games when playing NY Giants.
New Orleans is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Giants.
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against NY Giants.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans’s last 6 games when playing at home against NY Giants.
NY Giants are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games when playing on the road against New Orleans.
New York is 4-2 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season. New Orleans is 2-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
New York has provoked an average of 8.8 penalties on opponents over its last five games, but New Orleans is 2-1 SU this season when penalized at least eight times in a game.
New York is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 25th-ranked rushing attack will face the 28th-ranked run defense of New Orleans, while its 20th-ranked run defense will look to contain the 22nd-ranked rushing game of the Saints.
