Atlanta and New York (N) both took steps in the right direction in their Week 2 games. Both still came up on the losing end of their games and will be searching for their first win of the season when the two meet Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Let{s take a closer look to this Falcons at Giants betting preview.
After an embarrassing season-opening loss to Philadelphia, the Falcons were within three points of the defending Super Bowl champions at the start of the fourth quarter on Sunday. But a Tom Brady touchdown and two pick-sixes later sent Atlanta to a 45-28 loss to Tampa Bay.
The Giants had Washington beat until an off-side penalty on a missed field goal as time expired gave Washington a second crack at the game-winning field goal on Thursday. The extra chance was good, and New York was dealt a crushing 30-29 loss.
Game Odds
Vegas is rolling with the home team in this one. Sportsbook has the Giants as a 3-point favorite with -110 odds to cover the spread. Bettors taking New York straight up will have -150 odds, while taking the Falcons with the slight upset on the Moneyline has odds of +130.
Sportsbooks has the Over/Under set at 48.5 points with -110 odds on either side of the number.
Getting More Comfortable
After gaining just 26 yards on ten totes in his first game back from a season-ending knee injury last season, Saquon Barkley looked closer to being his usual explosive self on Thursday. Barkley broke off a 41-yard run in the first half before finishing the game with 57 yards on 13 carries.
Although the total output is not there, Barkley made some cutbacks on his runs which is a good sign the knee is good to go. Going up against the league’s worst defense on Sunday could be just what Barkley needs to springboard him into the rest of the season.
Not as Bad as it Looks
After a rough opener against the Eagles, Ryan completed 35 of 46 passes for 300 yards on Sunday against a legit Tampa defense. His 7-yard score to Cordarrelle Paterson pulled the Falcons to within 28-25 with just under two minutes left in the third quarter.
Two of the three interceptions came on tipped passes.
The Giants defense allowed Washington backup Taylor Heinicke to pass for 336 yards on Thursday, so look for Ryan to have another explosive game.
Dual Threat
Raise your hand if you had Daniel Jones as the Giants’ leading rusher through the first two games of the season. Jones is doing just that. In addition to 249 passing yards and a touchdown, Jones added 95 yards rushing and a touchdown in Thursday’s loss. For the season, the Giants’ QB has 516 yards passing and 122 yards on the ground with four total touchdowns.
Stars with Slow Starts
New York’s prized free-agent signing, Kenny Golladay, along with Atlanta’s top receiver Calvin Ridley are both off to slow starts. Golladay has just seven catches for 102 yards on the season, while Ridley has hauled in 12 for 114 yards. Atlanta’s first-round pick Kyle Pitts also has just nine receptions for 104 yards on the season.
Trends
Atlanta has lost seven straight games overall and is 2-5 against the spread in those games. The Giants are 2-4 ATS in their last six games but are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games against NFC South opponents.
The Under has hit in six of the last seven meetings.
Free Pick: Under 48.5
