Last weekend was a complete wash for me. I went 7-7-1, but I’m back for some more action this weekend. And there are games that I LOVE as we head into Week 2!
Giants +3 at Dallas and the Under 42.5
The Cowboys are missing their starting center, Travis Frederick, and it showed on Sunday against the Panthers. Their communication was a complete mess with guys up front not blocking the right players and allowing Panthers to run free into the backfield to terrorize Dak Prescott. On the flip side, their defense held the Panthers and Cam Newton in check.
The Giants lost a close game to the Jaguars on Sunday, 20-15. Their offensive line had a few issues but generally speaking, their offense is close to clicking. New York’s wide receivers dropped too many passes and Eli Manning missed Odell Beckham Jr. in the end zone for a touchdown. Saquon Barkley had the home run touchdown run, which is always possible with him. And the Giants defense is everything it was advertised to be — stout against the run and tough to pass against.
So you have a matchup on Sunday between two teams with question marks at offensive line facing off against playmakers on the opposite side of the ball.
The Giants will shut down the Cowboys’ passing game because Dallas has no one who can compete with the players in the Giants secondary. I know the Giants have a new offense which is different than anything they’ve had the past few seasons, but the Cowboys have only allowed 20, 10, 3 and 10 in their last four meetings with the Giants.
So I love the under this week and the Giants +3.
Denver -6 versus Oakland
I am fading on the Raiders this season. What happened to Derek Carr? Ever since his injury at the end of 2016, he looks like a different player. Their offense was stagnant against the Rams and now they head to Denver to face another tough defense.
The Broncos put up 27 points in Week 1 against a Seattle Seahawks defense that has a void to fill because of the loss of some of their talent, but nonetheless, they are still plenty stout. Now, the Broncos get to play an old Raiders defense without a pass rush.
I’ll swallow the points and take the Broncos.
Philadelphia -3 at Tampa Bay
Taking a road favorite is always tough, especially laying a field goal. However, we have an Eagles team who’s flat out better than Tampa at almost every position. People are going to overvalue Tampa Bay after their Week 1 victory over the Saints, but I’m not. They are still starting a backup quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and I think the Eagles will dominate this game.