Giants vs. Washington Football Odds and Betting Picks
NFL Week 2 betting kicks off in the nation’s capital, and Nick Galaida is here to break down New York Giants vs. Washington Football Team odds ahead of Thursday Night Football. Follow along as he previews the teams, breaks down the matchup, and gives a free pick to make at online sportsbooks.
Giants vs. Football Team Odds
| New York Giants Odds | +3 (+100) |
| Washington Odds | -3 (-120) |
| Over/Under | 40.5 |
| Date | Thursday, Sept. 12 |
| Time | 8:20 p.m. |
| TV | NFL Network |
The New York Giants and the Washington Football Team will face-off in a divisional battle on Thursday Night Football this week. Oddsmakers are expecting a tightly-contested affair, pricing Washington as only a field goal favorite on the spread.
Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup to see bettors can find value at sportsbooks in this contest when it comes to NFL betting picks.
New York Giants +3 (+100)
Daniel Jones was not good in the Giants’ Week 1 loss to the Denver Broncos. Part of his struggles were self-inflicted, such as his costly fumble in the third quarter, but poor offensive line play did not help matters in the passing game. Nate Solder and Matt Peart struggled mightily at right tackle. The much-anticipated return of Saquon Barkley manifested in only 26 rushing yards. Sterling Shepard brought in four passes for 113 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, but he was the only bright spot for a receiver group that had four drops on the afternoon. Shepard has an opportunity to have another strong showing on Thursday night, considering he will likely be covered by the unimpressive Kendall Fuller when he lines up in the slot. The Giants could look to exploit that matchup.
Part of the reason that the total in this contest continues to be bet down is a reaction to how poorly New York and Washington played on offense in Week 1. Additionally, there are some standout players on the Giants defense, including Logan Ryan, who was outstanding with eight tackles, including a potential touchdown-saving forced fumble and recovery inside the five yard line. Still, inconsistent play from the rest of the secondary allowed Teddy Bridgewater to complete a lot of underneath throws, and allowing a 100-yard rusher is never something to brag about.
Washington Football Team -3 (-120)
Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered a hip subluxation in Week 1, landing him on injured reserve. In his place, Head Coach Ron Rivera told reporters that Taylor Heinicke will start on Thursday. In Week 1, Heinicke completed 11 of 15 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown, in relief of Fitzpatrick. Heinicke was outstanding in last year’s playoff game against the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he is certainly going to need to channel some of that magic on Thursday if Washington wants to avoid an 0-2 start to the campaign. Judging from his small sample size in 2020, and his time at Old Dominion, he is certainly capable of a strong performance, but getting shutout in the fourth quarter this past Sunday should give bettors pause here. “(player-popup #antonio-gibson)Antonio Gibson”:/players/antonio-gibson-1844676’s lost fumble deep in Washington’s own territory was a difficult mistake to overcome in Week 1, but his overall stats were good and he figures to have another strong performance against a Giants defense that allowed 165 yards rushing last week.
After a promising 2020 campaign, and a lot of preseason hype, Washington’s defense was more than a little bit disappointing against Los Angeles—allowing 334 passing yards and 90 more yards on the ground. They figure to have a much better day against a weaker Giants offense, but this unit will need better days from their cornerbacks if they want to stay competitive on Thursday. The defensive line was excellent in Week 1 and both starting safeties, Bobby McCain and Kamren Curl, graded as top-nine at their position in the opener, according to Pro Football Focus. Washington’s defense still has a lot of solid contributors. They will hope for better results in Week 2.
Giants vs. Football Team Picks
The total has been attacked and bet down nearly three points on this game. This could be due, in part, to the general public perception that Thursday games in the NFL are lower-scoring for a variety of reasons, but there is very little data to support that claim. In 2020, only one Thursday night game resulted in fewer than 39 points being scored. Eleven of the thirteen contests hit 42 points or more. Both New York and Washington struggled on the defensive side of the ball in their Week 1 losses. Bettors should consider a small play on the over at its current market price. The over could also be a great inclusion in a teaser with a Sunday game that bettors identify as having value.
PICK: Over 40.5 (-110)
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