The Giants and Jets are both heavy underdogs in Week 14.
The Giants are a seven-point dog at home against the NFL-leading Eagles. And the Jets are 9.5-point dogs at the Bills (lines via Sports Betting Dime).
Here are the ESNY staff picks:
EAGLES AT GIANTS
Danny Small, staff writer. The tide seems to be turning on the Giants after their hot start. They still find ways to make things interesting, but they are going to have a tough time with Jalen Hurts and the Eagles. With Hurts versatile enough to dominate the game on the ground or through the air, it’s hard to see the Giants keeping pace with Philly. Eagles 31, Giants 20.
Josh Benjamin, staff writer. Big Blue finally meets the Birds this season in what should be a rainy Sunday at the Meadowlands. Brian Daboll and Nick Sirianni know how to motivate their players, except one guy has Hurts. Philly wins the shootout. Eagles 34, Giants 24.
Matt Musico, editor. The Giants’ month-long stretch of facing NFC East opponents hasn’t started well. It began with a loss to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving and then a tie last week against the Commanders. That would’ve been a great opportunity to start building a little momentum, but it just felt like another loss for Big Blue. Now they get to face one of the NFL’s best teams. It’s happening at MetLife, which is a plus, but I don’t see how the Giants get back on track here. Eagles 31, Giants 14.
James Kratch, managing editor. The Giants’ season will hinge on whether or not they can beat the Commanders next weekend. The rest is likely to just be window dressing. And they will not like what they see in this one. Eagles 31, Giants 13.
Ryan Honey, staff writer. The Giants haven’t won a game since their Nov. 13 victory over Houston. Their injury list is still pretty lengthy. The run game has failed to find a spark and the offensive line is struggling. And they need to face the best team in football and an MVP candidate quarterback in Hurts. Needless to say: don’t expect Brian Daboll and the Giants to finally return to the win column. The Giants will at least be competitive (like they have been all year) against an NFC East rival. However, the numbers don’t lie. The Giants are the 28th-best passing offense and the Eagles are No. 1 in the league against the pass. The Eagles are 5th in rushing; the Giants are 26th against the run. Philly is the healthier, more talented team right now. It could be close for much of 60 minutes, but expect the above discrepancies to play crucial roles in another Eagles win. Eagles 27, Giants 17.
JETS AT BILLS
Small. The Jets fell short to the Vikings in Minnesota, but one thing is undeniable: they are a good football team. The Bills are heavy favorites at home, but the Jets haven’t lost by double-digits since Week 3. Furthermore, they haven’t lost back-to-back games all season. Gang Green has Buffalo’s number this year. Jets 23, Bills 16.
Benjamin. Will lightning strike twice for the Jets and they sweep Buffalo this season? They just might during what’s supposed to be a cold wet Sunday upstate. The scoring will be low, but Gang Green pulls off the surprise. Jets 20, Bills 17.
Musico. After getting upset by the Jets in Week 8, you’d have to imagine the Bills are out for revenge this weekend in Buffalo. New York has been a decent road team this season, but this is a real tough spot for them. It’s hard for me to envision them taking both games from Buffalo this season, although I think they keep it closer than some may think it’ll be. Bills 27, Jets 21.
Kratch. There is no reason for the Jets to win this game. But I have a strange, strange feeling they make a big defensive play or two and find a way. Maybe they just have Buffalo’s number? Plus at some point they’re going to need one more big upset to keep pace ion the AFC race. Jets 21, Bills 20.
Honey. The Mike White train keeps chugging along as the primary backup will start for a third straight week against the Bills — the team that ended his run as the starter last year. If you can remember, White threw four picks against the Bills in a 45-17 loss just two short weeks after his infamous performance against the Bengals.But this season, White gets his revenge. The Bills’ pass rush is tied for 8th in pass rush win rate (per ESPN) but just lost Von Miller for the season. Buffalo’s defense is 10th in yards allowed but only 17th against the pass. If the Jets can just get the run game going, White should find the opportunities to produce on passing downs. From there, if he can just protect the football, the Jets’ offense should be able to take pressure off a talented defense that must face Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, and Co. And if you can remember, the Jets’ defense is up for that task: the unit allowed just 317 total yards in New York’s win over the Bills on Nov. 6. That’s nearly 100 yards fewer than what the Bills are currently averaging per game. Jets 23, Bills 20.
RECORDS TO DATE
1-Small: 14-10 against the spread, 13-10-1 straight-up
2-Benjamin: 13-11, 14-9-1
3-Musico: 13-11, 13-10-1
4-Kratch: 13-11, 12-11-1
5-Honey: 12-12, 13-10-1
James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com
