Week 14 NFL Picks - New York Giants (-1.5) at Minnesota Vikings
Monday, December 13, 2010
by Aengus Moorehead
Weather:
This game is being played in a dome.
Last week’s result:
NY Giants (-7.5) beats visiting Washington 31-7. Minnesota (-6.5) beats visiting Buffalo 38-14.
Last week against the Spread:
NY Giants covers; Minnesota covers.
Analysis:
After consecutive wins, over the Redskins and Bills, Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier will look to continue his perfect run since taking over against one of the best the NFC has to offer, the New York Giants. While the Vikings have won two in a row since firing former head coach Brad Childress to pull to 5-7, the Giants have bounced back from consecutive losses with a pair of wins over the Jaguars and Washington to remain tied with the Eagles for top spot in the NFC East at 8-4.
While New York Giants will get the Eagles at home next week in their second meeting of the regular season, three of their final four games will be played on the road and that won’t make the path to a division title an easy one.
After struggling through a pair of defeats against division rivals Cowboys and Philadelphia, the Giants have gotten back on track in a major way. A comeback win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at New Meadowlands Stadium provided a spark that New York carried over in to its 31-7 win over Washington. The Giants have welcomed the cold December air, and embraced it by turning to their running game, with the tandem of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw rushing for 200 yards and four touchdowns against the Redskins. Defensively, New York ranks in the top-ten against both the pass and run, and its outstanding pass rush has been nothing short of outstanding. The Giants have allowed an average of 192.8 yards through the air this season, the second-best betting on NFL mark in the league.
The culture change in Minnesota began to transition the football betting moment that Frazier replaced Childress, and that difference has been reflected in the way that the team has performed. Even with Brett Favre watching from the sidelines with a badly sprained shoulder, the Vikings moved the ball down the field with ease last Sunday, with backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson handing the ball off to Adrian Peterson. Peterson finished with 107 yards and three touchdowns, with an average gain of 6.7 yards, and will need to be relied on heavily to break the New York defense. If Favre can’t go, Jackson will get the start, and may be the better option regardless against a talented Giants’ pass rush.
The Minnesota Vikings are 2-0 and have a different vibe about them under interim head coach Leslie Frazier. But they've also had the good fortune of opening the Frazier era against the Redskins and Bills. Now comes a Giants team that's fighting to keep pace with the Eagles atop the NFC East and is particularly motivated by a humiliating 44-7 loss at the Metrodome to end last season. The Giants can score a lot of points and put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. They also haven't allowed a sack in a franchise-record five consecutive games. The Vikings have struggled in pass protection and need to generate pressure to offset a weak secondary. Take Giants.
Bet on NY Giants (-1.5) at Minnesota at SBG Global Sportsbook
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Category
Tags
adrian peterson - ahmad bradshaw - brad childress - brandon jacobs - brett favre - leslie frazier - minnesota vikings - new york giants - tarvaris jackson
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