SNF - Giants at Colts
By Kevin Rogers
The Giants and Colts wrap up the Sunday NFL card, as the story will revolve around the Manning brothers. Both Peyton and Eli have won Super Bowl MVP's, as each quarterback is looking for a second championship. Each team is coming in off a different result in Week 1, as the Colts want to prove that there is no hangover from February's Super Bowl setback to the Saints.
The Super Bowl loser is now 0-9 ATS and 2-7 SU since 2002 in the following season opener after the Colts fell as one-point favorites at Houston, 34-24. The elder Manning threw for 433 yards and three touchdowns in the loss, but the Texans ran all over the Colts' defense for 257 yards, including a career-high 231 from another former Tennessee Volunteer in Arian Foster. All three of Foster's touchdowns came in the second half, as Houston managed to win this key divisional game despite just nine completions by quarterback Matt Schaub.
The Giants had some initial struggles against the Panthers last Sunday at the new Meadowlands, trailing Carolina by two at the half. New York rebounded with a strong second half by outscoring Carolina, 17-2 in a 31-18 victory, covering as 5 ½-point favorites. The younger Manning tossed three touchdown passes, but also threw three interceptions. The Giants were able to overcome their four turnovers by causing five takeaways and holding the Panthers to three field goals.
Only four games finished 'over' the total in Week 1, but two of those 'overs' came from the Giants and Colts. Four of the five games that saw the winning team score 31 points or more cashed the 'over,' with the lone 'push' coming in Seattle's 31-6 victory over San Francisco.
New York hasn't been a strong play against AFC opponents on the road under Tom Coughlin, going 5-7 SU/ATS since 2004. The Giants are listed as a road underdog versus an interconference opponent for only the second time since 2007, as New York won at Pittsburgh as a three-point 'dog, 21-14 in October 2008. Coughlin gets his troops up when receiving points on the highway, compiling an 18-9 mark as an away 'dog.
The last time the Colts had a home opener on a Sunday night, Indianapolis was shocked by Chicago in 2008 by a 29-13 count. The Colts were double-digit favorites in that contest, the debut of Lucas Oil Stadium. Since that loss, Indianapolis has won 15 of its last 17 home games, while going 8-9 ATS in this stretch. Covering single-digit numbers at home is a problem for the defending AFC champions, cashing only three of the last 10 regular season opportunities over the last two seasons.
The Colts have struggled when trying to rebound from a SU favorite loss, putting together a dreadful 2-9 ATS mark since 2004. Indianapolis better take advantage of playing at home, as the Colts will play only one more game at Lucas Oil Stadium after Sunday's contest until the start of November (Kansas City on October 10).
The last time these teams met was at the old Meadowlands in the opening week of the 2006 season. The Colts came through with a 26-21 victory as three-point road 'chalk,' while barely finishing 'under' the total of 48. The Giants outgained the Colts, 433-327, including a 186-55 advantage on the ground. That would be a huge theme of the Super Bowl season for Indianapolis in '06, allowing tons of rushing yards, but the Colts fixed that issue in a strong postseason run. It's interesting that two of the biggest contributors for the Giants in that game was now-retired Tiki Barber (171 all-purpose yards) and now-incarcerated Plaxico Burress (80 yards, TD). From a gambling standpoint, Adam Vinatieri drilled a 32-yard field goal with 1:12 to go to put Indianapolis up by five points, and lifting Colts' backers to victory.
VI capper Joe Nelson says the Colts may fall into an early hole in the division they own, "Indianapolis did not look like a Super Bowl team last week and more injuries on defense could make this a very tough second game sitting at 0-1 with the three AFC South rivals starting 1-0."
From the totals perspective, Nelson notes that the 'over' may seem too easy with these two pass-happy offenses, "While many will jump at the 'over' in this game, be aware that the Giants game was on pace to stay well 'under' last week until 17 points were scored in the final two minutes of the first half with penalties playing a big role in extending drives. The Colts' game also played well 'over' last week, but Indianapolis was forced to the air after falling way behind early, amassing 419 passing yards. Look for more of a ground attack from both teams as the Giants try to find the same holes that the Texans found and the Colts will seek to control the clock and avoid playing from behind."
Indianapolis won all three games on Sunday Night Football last season, with the lone home victory coming over New England in the wild 35-34 triumph in mid-November. The Giants finished 1-2 in the Sunday primetime game in 2009, but the win did come in Week 2 at Dallas, 33-31 as three-point underdogs.
The Colts are currently 5 ½-point favorites at most books, while the total has settled at 48 after opening up at 47. The game kicks off at 8:30 PM EST from Lucas Oil Stadium, as NBC will televise the contest.
vegasinsider.com
Giants (1-0) @ Colts (0-1) - Manning Bowl II finds Indy scuffling after 34-24 loss in Houston, where they gave up 257 rushing yards and ran ball 10 times the whole game themselves (Peyton was 40-57/419 passing). Giants survived four turnovers by picking Moore off three times in end zone; they're 9-6 as a road dog since '06, 19-11 off a win since '07. Colts are just 5-10 as home fave last two years, but they've won six of last seven home openers. Giants scored an average of 34.8 ppg in winning three of last four road openers. Over is 9-1 in their last 10 road openers, with last six such games going over the total.
Giants at Colts: What Bettors Need to Know
By RICKY DIMON
The second installment of the Manning Bowl is set for primetime; the Giants and Colts will square off for the first time in four years on Sunday night.
Peyton got the best of Eli in September of 2006 and Indianapolis went on to win the Super Bowl that season. The Colts are looking for similar good fortune to regain some momentum following a 34-24 loss at Houston in Week 1. The Giants are bidding for a 2-0 start following a 31-18 home victory over Carolina.
LINE MOVEMENT
The line opened with the Colts as 5.5-point favorites at most betting sites and it has stayed consistent within a one-point range between 4.5 and 5.5 over the past week. The total opened at 47.5 and has slowly made its way up to 48.5.
INJURY REPORT
It’s early in the season but injuries could be major factor on Sunday night. The Giants are listing both defensive end Osi Umenyiora and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks as questionable. Umenyiora has had some minor knee swelling and Nicks, who caught three touchdowns last week, is dealing with an ankle problem. Coach Tom Coughlin says both players will be game-time decisions.
Maybe even more crucial to New York’s success—considering the prolific passing attack of its Week 2 opponent—is the availability of safety Aaron Ross, who missed the season opener with a foot injury. Ross, however, is listed as probable on the injury report and expected to play.
The news is not particularly good for the Colts. Safety Bob Sanders is out indefinitely with a bicep injury and wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez will miss Sunday’s game due to a high ankle sprain. Linebacker Gary Brackett (back) and defensive lineman Robert Mathis (ankle) are listed as questionable and sat out Friday’s practice, although they were able to practice earlier in the week.
NOT ON THE INJURY REPORT BUT....
SB Nation Indianapolis Colts blog Stampede Blue is reporting that a credible source tells them Peyton Manning’s neck is giving him some problems. The injury isn’t something that’s going to keep Manning off the field. He owns the longest consecutive start streak after Brett Favre, so you know the guy’s a gamer.
Manning isn’t on the injury report but he did have surgery on his neck this past offseason. We’re not in the habit of reporting rumors, but we’ve worked a bit with the operators of Stampede Blue and we thought it was worthwhile mentioning.
You can read the complete blog post on Manning’s injury here.
PRIOR ENGAGEMENTS
In Manning Bowl I on September 10, 2006, Peyton’s Colts went on the road and edged Eli’s Giants 26-21.
Eli finished with slightly more impressive stats (20-for-34, 247 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT), but his primary weapons back then—and in that game—were since-departed Tiki Barber, Plaxico Burress, and Jeremy Shockey.
Peyton went 25-for-41 for 276 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Indy’s rushing attack was non-existent in the game, but now-retired Marvin Harrison hauled in nine passes for 113 yards and Dallas Clark—still around—made the touchdown catch.
The Giants and Colts have met only twice in the last eight years and three times in the last 11 years. Interestingly, the road team is both 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in the past three meetings, which took place in 1999, 2002, and 2006.
GROUNDED
Something’s gotta give when an Indianapolis defense, that got torched by Arian Foster and the Texans, goes up against a New York rushing attack that failed to do much against Carolina.
Foster ran all over the Colts in Week 1, racking up 231 yards--the most ever against the Colts--and three touchdowns. For the Giants, Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs ran for a combined 120 yards, only eight of which came prior to a clock-eating second half. Take away two of those runs for a combined 61 yards and the numbers would have been ghastly.
“I think you'd have to certainly take that approach,” said Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell when asked if he thought the Giants would try to exploit his team's run defense in the aftermath of Week 1. “If they look at the film they're certainly going to think, ‘We should be able to run the ball on these guys.’”
But New York knows that the Colts will be especially eager to get back on track. “After a week like that, we know they're going to concentrate more on the run than they probably ever did,” Jacobs explained. “You can't go out there sleeping on them and think that they're just going to lie down again and let you have your way with them.”
ALL IS FE-WELL ON DEFENSE
On the other side of the ball, the Giants were close to dominant last week against Carolina. They limited the Panthers to 89 rushing yards, forced three fumbles (recovering two), made three interceptions and knocked starting quarterback Matt Moore out of the game.
Not a bad debut for new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.
“He's definitely an enthusiastic guy,” noted defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka. “A lot has been said about that. But his knowledge of the game, his love and his passion for it, it definitely bleeds into every part of this team, not just the defense.”
Fewell used aggressive packages when the Panthers were forced into passing situations, but New York will continue to emphasize stopping the run first.
“Everybody is hungry out there,” added tackle Barry Cofield. “We've got to stop the run and that's a sense of pride. Sacking the quarterback is like our dessert. It's like a treat.”
TRENDING TOPICS
Despite covering last week’s spread against the Panthers, New York is just 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games dating back to the 2009 season. Indianapolis 1-5 ATS in its last six games following an SU loss.
Both teams were solid on fieldturf last season. The Giants are 7-1 ATS in their past eight games on the surface and the Colts are 4-1-1 ATS in their past six.
The over is 6-0 in New York’s last six overall and 6-2 in Indianapolis’ last eight overall. The over is also 4-1-1 in New York’s last six road games.
NFL Cheat Sheet: Week 2
By Shawn Hartlen
New York Giants at Indianapolis Colts (-5)
Why Giants cover: Indianapolis safety Bob Sanders (biceps) is injured again and their run defense is just not the same without him. Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs could have a field day, like Arian Foster.
Why Colts cover: New York's rookie punter Matt Dodge struggled in his debut. If he can't pin the Colts in their own zone, Peyton Manning and company could put up points in bunches.
Total (48): These teams could blow up the scoreboard, especially with family bragging rights on the line.
Tips and Trends
New York Giants at Indianapolis Colts
GIANTS: It's Manning vs. Manning, and NBS is the clear cut winner. QB Eli Manning gets a second chance at beating his brother QB Peyton Manning. The Giants lost the first Manning Bowl, 21-26 on September 10, 2006. New York is coming off a convincing 21-18 SU win over Carolina as -5.5 favorites in Week 1. The Giants were able to outgain the Panters by 131 YDS in their opener, with Manning leading the way. Manning threw for 263 YDS in Week 1, and had 3 TD passes to WR Hakeem Nicks. Nicks only had 4 catches in total in the opener, with 3 of them coming as TD's. Defensively, the Giants were dominant against Carolina as they forced 5 turnovers. They had 3 INT's alone, and will be excited to face a likely pass happy Peyton Manning offense tonight. Conerback Terrell Thomas had a dynamite game, deflecting 4 passes and catching an INT. New York is 3-0-1 in their past 4 September games overall. The Giants are also 7-1 in their past 8 games played on Fieldturf. After tonight's game in Indianapolis, the Giants have 3 of their next 4 games at home.
Giants are 23-8 ATS last 31 road games.
Over is 6-0 last 6 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
Key Injuries - WR Hakeem Nicks (ankle) is probable.
Projected Score: 27 (SIDE of the Day)
COLTS: (-5.5, O/U 48) For a team that is used to winning in the regular season, losing a season opener can be shocking. For Indianapolis, it's as if the sky is falling on this team. The Colts lost 24-34 SU to the Texans as the listed favorite. Indianpolis was dominated at the line of scrimmage, both offensively and defensively. The Colts offensive line is in shambles, and it showed with QB Peyton Manning being harassed constantly against Houston. Defensively, the Colts allowed the Texans to run for a franchise record 257 YDS. Making matters worse for the Colts was the injury to star safety Bob Sanders. Sanders is a physical playmaker who is the heart and soul of this Colts defense. It appears now more than ever that age has caught up to to Indianapolis. The Colts are still dangerous though with Manning at the helm, as he threw for 433 YDS despite the poor play around him in the opener. Indianapolis hasn't started off the season 0-2 SU since 1998, Manning's rookie season. The Colts are 5-1-1 in their past 7 games against a team with a winning record. Indianapolis is also 5-2 ATS in their past 7 Week 2 games.
Colts are 1-5 ATS last 6 games following a SU loss.
Over is 6-2 last 8 games overall.
Key Injuries - T Ryan Diem (neck) is questionable.
Projected Score: 24
NY GIANTS at INDIANAPOLIS
NY GIANTS: 12-4 Over in all games
INDIANAPOLIS: 30-13 Over off SU loss as favorite
NY GIANTS vs. INDIANAPOLIS
NY Giants are 4-8 SU in their last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Giants last 5 games
Indianapolis is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indianapolis's last 8 games
NY Giants are 14-6 as underdogs since 2007
Indianapolis is 8-13 in the last 21 as home favorites
NY Giants 5-1 Game Two… 0-5 O/U line 46 > pts
INDIANAPOLIS 7-1 non-conf favs < 10