The Giants struggled to score in their season opener, thanks, in part, to the absence of All-Pro wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. The Lions didn’t have the same problem, rolling up 35 points against the Cardinals in Week 1. Beckham is on the brink of a return, but will he be enough to jump-start New York’s offense when the two teams meet on Monday Night Football at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN (live stream)?

New York needs a prime-time home victory to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole in its quest to return to the postseason. Detroit, looking to build off last year’s nine-win campaign, will try to keep its head start on the way to the top of the NFC North with a road win. If Beckham is back to full strength, it’s a matchup that promises fireworks — but after the Giants scored just three points last week, the potential for a lopsided blowout is certainly in play.

Time, TV channel, and streaming info

• Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
• TV: ESPN
• Streaming: WatchESPN
• Odds: New York is favored by 3 points.

Lions at Giants news:

• Odell Beckham Jr. is the straw that stirs the Giants’ drink; without him, they’ll perish.

“OBJ is gonna play” will be the Giants’ new slogan soon enough, if not this week then before too long. Manning will get his favorite target back, and Marshall, Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, etc. should be able to get open more easily.

• The Lions aren’t tolerating racial slurs from fans — even on Snapchat. But a fan is trying to give this ugly story a happy ending.

“It felt like a perfect opportunity to take a horrible situation and flip it 180,” Andy told Pride of Detroit via email. “Buy the now empty seats and make sure they go to people who know what diversity brings to a city like Detroit.”

• The New York offensive line is taking heat for its play last week, but that’s nothing new.

It seems like Pugh rarely gets through a session with the media without being asked about struggles on the offensive line. Wednesday, on the heels of a 19-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in which the offense was inept, was no exception.

“It is in our face,” Pugh said. “Every time I turn around, somebody is asking us what is wrong with the o-line.”

• The Lions are a borderline top 10 team, according to the first round of regular season power rankings.
• The biggest surprise of the Giants season is no real surprise; it’s how bad their offense has been without Beckham in the lineup.

From a New York Giants perspective, I’d guess you’re surprised that after eight months the offense looked as bad as it did. Even without Odell Beckham Jr. it should have been more functional than it was in Sunday’s 19-3 loss.

On the good side, B.J. Goodson looked better than anyone could have hoped.

Is rookie wide receiver Kenny Golladay for real?

Golladay followed up an explosive preseason with a four-catch, two-touchdown performance in his first game as a pro, including a highlight-reel 45-yard bomb from Matthew Stafford to seal an opening day victory over the Cardinals.

The third-round pick will have to prove he can keep that momentum rolling against a Giants defense that will be ready for him. New York has had eight days to study his game film and plan for the sure-handed Northern Illinois product. If Golladay can create space and targets for Stafford in primetime, we’ll have a better idea of whether the rookie wideout is for real.

Lions at Giants prediction:

SB Nation’s panel of nine experts leans ever so slightly toward the visitors, with five writers leaning on Stafford and the Lion defense to overcome the slow-starting Giants.