NFL betting trends, odds and predictions for Monday, September 18th, 2017 from various handicappers and websites
DETROIT (1 - 0) at NY GIANTS (0 - 1) - 9/18/2017, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 84-113 ATS (-40.3 Units) in road games since 1992.
DETROIT is 84-113 ATS (-40.3 Units) in road lined games since 1992.
DETROIT is 63-90 ATS (-36.0 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1992.
Head-to-Head Series History
NY GIANTS is 1-0 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
NY GIANTS is 1-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT vs. NY GIANTS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Detroit's last 7 games on the road
Detroit is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Giants last 5 games at home
NY Giants are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home
DETROIT @ NY GIANTS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Detroit's last 7 games on the road
Detroit is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Giants
NY Giants is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
NY Giants is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
NFL Week 2
Lions (1-0) @ Giants (0-1) — How much of Giants’ anemic offense LW was Dallas’ defense; how much was absence of Beckham? Big Blue was 3-1-1 coming off a loss LY- they’re 12-10 in last 22 games as a home favorite. Giants are 2-9-1 vs spread the week after playing Dallas. Detroit is 7-11 as a road dog under Caldwell; 11-13-2, coming off a win. Giants won four of last five series games; Detroit lost its last two visits here, 28-20/17-6- their last series win here was in 2004. Detroit is 4-2 vs spread in last six Monday night games. Giants covered five of last six Monday nite home games. Detroit is 2-7 in last nine road openers; over is 8-3-1 in their last 12. Giants are 1-4 in last five home openers, scoring 18 pts/game (under 4-1). Giants didn’t force any 3/outs LW; they lost field position by 13 yards.
Armadillosports.com
MNF - Lions at Giants
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
LAST WEEK
The Lions (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) were sluggish in the season opener against the Cardinals as quarterback Matthew Stafford was intercepted and Arizona returned the pick for a touchdown early in the first quarter. Detroit erased a 17-9 third quarter deficit by scoring 26 unanswered points to pick up a 35-23 victory, while cashing as 2½-point home underdogs. Stafford bounced back from the early interception to throw four touchdown passes, including a pair of scoring strikes to rookie Kenny Golladay.
Detroit’s defense caused four Arizona turnovers, including three interceptions of Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer. The Lions limited the Cardinals to only 45 yards rushing, which was aided by Arizona running back David Johnson leaving with a wrist injury. Detroit improved to 6-1 the last seven season openers, as all seven games finished OVER the total.
The Giants (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) finished last season by scoring 19 points or fewer in each of their final six games, including in their Wild Card loss at Green Bay. New York’s offense didn’t produce much in its season opening 19-3 defeat at Dallas as the Giants posted 233 yards. The rushing attack was anything but by racking up 35 yards on 12 carries, as New York could be on its way to another poor season running the ball after ranking 29th in this category in 2016.
New York was without the services of Pro Bowl receiver Odell Beckham, Jr., who sat out due to an ankle injury suffered in the preseason. Eli Manning’s top target in Week 1 turned out to be running back Shane Vereen, who picked up nine receptions out of the backfield for 51 yards. Veteran Brandon Marshall didn’t make a dent in the Dallas defense as the wide receiver recorded only one catch, which came in the final minute of play.
DETROIT DOGS
The Lions covered already as a home underdog against the Cardinals, but Jim Caldwell’s team struggled when receiving points away from Ford Field last season. In eight opportunities as a road ‘dog in 2016, Detroit posted a 3-5 ATS record, while the UNDER cashed five times. The Lions closed last season with three consecutive losses as an away underdog, while scoring six points in two of those defeats. Dating back to 2013, the Lions have compiled an 8-13 ATS record in this situation, while going 13-21 ATS the last four seasons on the highway.
MAC ATTACK
Ben McAdoo is entering his second season as the head coach of the Giants as he helped propel New York back to the postseason in 2016 at 10-6. Although the offense suffered late in the season, New York still managed a six-game winning streak halfway through 2016, while posting an impressive 7-1 record at Met Life Stadium. The Giants will be playing only one home contest through the first four weeks (at Philadelphia and Tampa Bay the next two games), but Big Blue has failed to cover its home opener in each of the past five seasons.
SERIES HISTORY
The Giants and Lions are hooking up for the third time in the past four seasons. New York has captured two of the past three meetings, including a 17-6 home triumph last December as four-point favorites. Manning threw for 202 yards, but also connected on touchdown passes to Beckham and Sterling Shepard, as the Giants posted 300 yards of offense. Stafford couldn’t produce a touchdown for Detroit, as he put up 273 yards through the air, while getting intercepted once. The last time the Giants and Lions met for a Monday night affair came in the 2014 opener at Ford Field as Detroit cruised to a 35-14 blowout as 6½-point favorites.
NOT SO PRIME
Stafford has struggled in the spotlight of primetime games in his career. Detroit owns a dreadful 3-10 record in games started by Stafford at night, including three straight losses to close out 2016. However, two of those victories came on the road, while the third win came at home against the Giants in Week 1 of the 2014 campaign. The Giants split a pair of games on Monday night last season, as the lone victory was a one-point decision against the Bengals at home.
HANDICAPPER’S CORNER
VegasInsider.com handicapper Joe Nelson checks in with his thoughts on this NFC matchup, “Arizona handed Detroit four turnovers and as has been the case in most of the Jim Caldwell era, the Lions struggled to run the ball gaining just 3.0 yards per carry. The Lions were also caught committing 10 penalties for 100 yards as optimism gained from a minor upset in Week 1 should be grounded for the Lions, but Stafford has often proven the ability to overcome the team’s limitations in crunch time.”
Nelson doesn’t have much faith that both these squads to return to the playoffs, “Like Detroit, the Giants were also a NFC Wild Card last season, but there likely won’t be room for both of these teams in this year’s playoff field with neither being the favorite in their divisions. After falling to Dallas on Sunday night with only three points scored, this becomes a critical game for the Giants as they are heading back on the road the next two weeks to face quality NFC playoff contenders.”
ODDSMAKER’S TAKE
Scott Cooley of BookMaker.eu says things have stayed steady in this contest, “The line feels pretty tight, and the sharp action has been non-existent. As far as the public wagering, we are seeing around 65 percent of the tickets on Detroit and 55 percent of the money on that side as well.”
Lions, Giants battle on Monday Night Football
By: StatFox.com
The Giants will be hoping to avoid an 0-2 start when they host the Lions for some Monday Night Football.
The Lions are coming off of an impressive comeback victory over the Cardinals last week, as Detroit won 35-23 as a two-point home underdog. The Lions trailed 17-9 midway through the third quarter, but they were able to pull themselves together and improve to 1-0. The Giants, meanwhile, were absolutely pathetic in their season opener against the Cowboys. One would think that playing against a rival on Sunday night would bring the best out of a team, but New York only had 233 yards of total offense in a 19-3 loss as six-point underdogs. The silver lining for the Giants is that WR Odell Beckham Jr. (Ankle) was out for that game. He will, however, likely be out again this week, but one would think they could beat an average team like the Lions without him. Detroit has, however, had some success when facing the Giants in Jersey in the past. The Lions are 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS when playing on the road against the Giants since 1992, but the giants did win-and-cover when the teams met on Dec. 18 last year. New York won that game 17-6 as a four-point home favorite and would certainly be satisfied with a similar result here. One trend that must be noted when looking at this game is the fact that the Lions are 0-8 ATS after a game with a turnover margin of +2 or beter under head coach Jim Caldwell.
The Lions have to be feeling pretty great about their victory over the Cardinals last week, but they must channel that energy and use it in this one. QB Matt Stafford threw for 292 yards with four touchdowns and only one pick in that game, but he now faces a very good Giants defense. When Stafford faced the Giants late last season, he was just 25-for-39 with no touchdowns and a pick. It’s hard to imagine Detroit having any chance at all if Stafford isn’t throwing for at least two scores in this one, so he needs to make sure he has it going here. It’d also be big if the Lions can get RB Ameer Abdullah the ball in the open field. Abdullah is facing a Giants defense that allowed 129 yards on the ground last week, but that was against Ezekiel Elliott and a tremendous Cowboys offensive line. Still, one would think that there would be at least a couple of holes for Abdullah to find here. Defensively, the Lions will want to focus only on the passing game in this one. New York is not going to run the football very much, and it probably won’t be effective when it does. That will make things easy for the Lions, as they’re not going to need to worry about facing an unpredictable team.
The Giants are going to be desperate for a victory when they take on the Lions on Monday, but they should be feeling pretty good about their chances. They might be without WR Odell Beckham Jr. in this game, but they have enough weapons to put up points here. QB Eli Manning should be better than he was against the Cowboys last week, when he threw for only 220 yards with no touchdowns and a pick. This Lions defense is a lot worse and will not be able to cover as well. Manning will, however, need to do a better job of targeting WR Brandon Marshall here. Marshall had just one catch for 10 yards in his Giants debut, and that one reception actually came in garbage time. If WR Odell Beckham Jr. is out then the Giants will need Marshall to perform like the elite receiver he once was. New York would also be wise to get the ground game going. The team doesn’t have many options, but if the Giants at least attempt to run the ball then it will open things up for Manning. On defense, New York is still one of the best teams in football. The giants should be able to get some pressure on Stafford and play well in coverage against his top receivers.
Monday Night Football Betting Preview: Lions at Giants
Covers.com
Detroit Lions at New York Giants (-3, 42)
Odell Beckham Jr. is many things but he doesn't profess to be a doctor, so it should come as no surprise that the superstar wide receiver was all over the map with his diagnosis of his ailing ankle. Beckham initially revealed that he's dealing with a six-to-eight-week timeline before later shifting gears and declaring it could be a four-to-12-week issue heading into the New York Giants' home opener against the Detroit Lions on Monday.
Simple math suggests that the prime-time tilt will be exactly four weeks since Beckham initially sustained the injury in a preseason game against Cleveland on Aug. 21. The flashy wideout, who was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday, watched helplessly as New York's vanilla offense mustered just two first downs in the first half en route to a 19-3 setback versus Dallas last weekend. While Eli Manning was held out of the end zone, Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford overcame an early pick-six and threw for 292 yards and four touchdown passes in a 35-23 victory over Arizona last week. Signed to a five-year, $135 million contract extension, Stafford completed 70.7 percent of his passes last week - well above both the averages of last season (65.3) and his career (61.6).
POWER RANKINGS: Lions (-2) - Giants (-1.5) + home field (-3) = Giants -2.5
LINE HISTORY: The Giants opened the week as five-point home favorites, however, the uncertainty around the status of Odell Beckham Jr. has pushed the line down to -3 as of Sunday. The total hit the betting board at 43.5 and has been bet down to 42. View the complete line history here.
WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Both teams struggled to run the ball on offense last week as Detroit gained just 82 yards (3.0 yards per rush) and New York managed only 35 yards (2.9 ypr). Both teams completed a high number of passes as the Lions were 29-for-41 (71%) and the Giants were 29-for-38 (76%). However, Detroit gained substantially more yards thru the air with 285 (7.0 yards per pass), while New York managed only 198 yards (5.2 ypp)." - Covers Experts' Steve Merril.
INJURY REPORT:
Lions - WR Golden Tate (Probable, Finger), DE Ezekiel Ansah (Questionable, Knee), RB Zach Zenner (Questionable, Back), DE Armonty Bryant (Eligible Week 5, Suspension), DT Khyri Thornton (Eligible Week 8, Suspension), T Corey Robinson (Questionable Week 10, Foot), P Kasey Redfern (I-R, Knee), P Sam Martin (Questionable Week 8, Ankle).
Giants - WR Tavarres King (Probable, Ankle), CB Janoris Jenkins (Probable, Hand), G Bobby Hart (Probable, Ankle), WR Odell Beckham Jr. (Probable, Ankle), LB Keenan Robinson (Questionable, Concussion), CB Valentino Blake (Out Indefinitely, Personal), LB Mark Herzlich (I-R. Stinger), DT Josh Banks (I-R, Shoulder).
ABOUT THE LIONS (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS, 1-0 O/U): While Golden Tate reeled in team highs in catches (10) and receiving yards (107) last week, rookie Kenny Golladay made a favorable impression with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown grabs. Pass-catching specialist Theo Riddick also had six catches with a TD reception, but his rushing contribution, when added with those of Ameer Abdullah and Dwayne Washington, resulted in just 51 yards on 22 carries for a 2.3-yard average per attempt. "It needs work," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said of the sputtering rushing attack. "It needs work. We just got to keep working at it and (it's) not where we want it yet."
ABOUT THE GIANTS (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS, 0-1 O/U): New York isn't thrilled with its ground game either, as Paul Perkins accounted for 16 of the team's 35 yards rushing in the season opener. Running back Shane Vereen did not record a carry but did provide Manning with a serviceable option out of the backfield by grabbing a team-high nine receptions. Second-year wideout Sterling Shepard, who had seven catches last week, joined Beckham in reeling in a touchdown reception in New York's 17-6 win over Detroit on Dec. 18. Veteran Brandon Marshall struggled to step up in Beckham's absence last week as he had just one catch for 10 yards in his debut with his new team.
TRENDS:
* Lions are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. NFC.
* Giants are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 7-0 in Lions last 7 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 8-2 in Giants last 10 games overall.
CONSENSUS: The public is siding with the road pup Lions at a rate of 59 percent and the Over is picking up 63 percent of the totals action.
Monday's NFL Best Bet
Vegasinsider.com
Detroit Lions vs N.Y Giants
Odds: NY Giants (-3), Total 42
Week 2 concludes with the Lions and Giants tangling on MNF in New York. The Giants looked awful in primetime a week ago when they lost 19-3 to Dallas, and because of that dud of a performance in a high-profile window, there isn't a lot of trust in them from the majority of bettors.
New York's offense looked really bad without WR Odell Beckham in the mix, and while early reports have Beckham suiting up today, there is no chance he's near 100%.
But will his presence be enough to spark a Giants offense that desperately needs to start pulling it's weight?
The Lions enter play tonight off a Week 1 win as they looked exactly like the Detroit Lions of the past few years; falling behind early and pulling out a 4th quarter comeback in some fashion.
The 20 points Detroit put up in the final frame vs. Arizona was an impressive feat given how that game was going, but costly turnovers by the Cardinals set up Detroit in great positions and eventually the Lions capitalized. But teams like Detroit that continually rely on 4th quarter comebacks are playing with fire, and the quality opponents they run into will bury them the first chance they get.
The NY Giants may not be considered a “quality” opponent after their own Week 1 performance, but they do have some great talent on both sides of the ball (outside of a running game), and now that we have two weeks of data on the Arizona Cardinals, it looks like that team is nowhere near as good as many expected them to be in 2017.
From the Giants perspective, this is an opportunity to redeem themselves on the national stage after last week's disaster in Dallas, and I believe we will see a much better game from them on the whole.
Even if Beckham isn't near 100%, his presence on the field is a huge boost to the rest of his teammates and the Lions will now have to allocate at least one guy to cover him up. New York wouldn't be dressing Beckham if he couldn't move some and be a productive part of the offense, so look for him to be Eli's “security blanket” when he needs a tough catch to move the chains.
Bekham's presence should open things up downfield for his teammates (Sterling Shepard, Brandon Marshall etc) and the more weapons you've got against this Lions defense that really isn't anything special, the better chance of success you will have.
So while the general perception here is siding with Detroit and the points in this spot – VegasInsider.com's numbers show about a 60/40 split in Detroit's favor – I've got no problem laying the points with the New York Giants tonight.
Eli and company can't be much worse then they were in Week 1, Beckham's return should provide a spark, and being back at home on MNF where they are on a 4-1 ATS run as home favorites after a divisional game, should be enough for you to consider laying the points.
However, if that's not enough, know that the Lions passing attack that was on fire in Week 1 isn't likely to have the same success against this Giants defense in Week 2. New York's defense was one of the better units in the league a year ago – especially against the pass – and the Cowboys really beat them with their running game a week ago. Detroit's a pass-first, pass-always team, and that type of gameplan isn't likely to have too much success tonight.
Finally, Detroit is on a 1-14 ATS run after scoring 33+ points in their last outing, 5-17-1 ATS after scoring 30+, and 2-6 ATS in their last eight on the road. So while that 35-yard Pick-Six the Lions got from Miles Killebrew late in the 4th quarter last week might have sealed their Week 1 win, it may have also sealed their Week 2 defeat both SU and ATS.
Best Bet: NY Giants -3