In Week 4, the New York Giants (1-2) host the New Orleans Saints (2-1). Though these two teams are separated by just one game in the win-loss column, most feel they are teams currently going in different directions.
So of course, the Saints are going to win this game, right? That’s how most people are going to see it when they fill out their picks in their weekly Pick ‘Em leagues. That’s how the oddsmakers see it as the Saints are currently a 3.5-point favorite, according to Oddshark, despite being the road team.
However, the fact that the Saints have historically struggled mighily in New York.
They have Drew Brees, but they’ve had him before.
The Saints have lost five of their last six trips to the Meadowlands. Brees has won just one of his three games on the road against the Giants and he’s never thrown more than one touchdown pass in any of those games,
All time, the Saints are just 4-12 against the Giants in New York.
Brees has some great weapons on offense. Michael Thomas has been as good as any receiver this season and Alvin Kamara is going to be one of the game’s best for years to come.
But the Giants have a player that can do everything he can in Saquon Barkley.
The key in this game will be the Giants slowing down the Saints’ offense just enough to give them a chance to win. The Saints’ defense hasn’t been able to stop anything, giving up 48 points to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the season opener before struggling with the Cleveland Browns the following week.
The Saints could easily be 0-3 at this point in the season and while they could still easily turn into a contender in the NFC, they should not be considered a shoe-in to go into MetLife and pick up a win.
For the Giants, this could be a game in which they turn the corner on the 2018 season. It’s been a rough start, but a win over the Saints would even their record at 2-2. The schedule gets no easier as the team faces the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons in its next three games.
If NFL fans learned anything from last week’s results, it’s that anything can happen from week to week in the league. That was evidenced by the Minnesota Vikings getting smoked at home by the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots being thoroughly defeated by the Detroit Lions.
Given that fact and the history of the Saints against the Giants on the road, suddenly it doesn’t seem so hard to believe that the Giants can beat them, does it?
So take a chance. Mark the box indicating the G-Men in your Pick ‘Em this week.
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