Betting Preview
Game Details
- Matchup: New York Giants at Las Vegas Raiders
- Date: Sunday, Nov. 5 (Week 9)
- Time: 1:25 p.m. PT / 4:25 p.m. ET
- Location: Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
Odds Summary
- Moneyline: Raiders -125, Giants +105
- Spread: Raiders -1.5 (-110), Giants +1.5 (-110)
- Total: Over/Under 37 (-110/-110)
Odds from BetMGM Sportsbook. Subject to change.
In a week headlined by tense division rivalries and potential playoff previews, Sunday’s game between the Las Vegas Raiders (3-5) and New York Giants (2-6) is the type of matchup that only a bettor could love.
The expectations for this Giants squad were not high entering this season, but a 2-6 start was not what this team and its fans had in mind. Besides the horrible record, New York also signed starting quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract this past offseason, and he returned the favor with two touchdowns and six interceptions in five games.
Jones will be back under center for the Giants after missing three weeks with a neck injury, during which backup Tyrod Taylor managed a 1-2 record with close losses to the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. Taylor (ribs) isn’t available this week, forcing Jones back into action despite his struggles even when healthy.
Meanwhile, the Raiders just hit the “hard reset” button, firing both head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler on Tuesday. Further, they benched Jimmy Garoppolo in favor of rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell, the fourth-rounder from Purdue who will make his second NFL start on Sunday.
We have all seen the video of Davante Adams slamming his helmet down and the postgame clip where Josh Jacobs said that he doesn’t know how to fix the Raiders’ offense and that it isn’t his problem. Clearly, the team is frustrated with how this season has played out so far.
Will the Raiders just mail it in for the rest of the season? Or can they turn things around at home against an equally struggling Giants squad?
Moneyline
After missing the Giants’ last three games, Jones is reportedly “ready to go” for Sunday’s matchup against the Raiders. In Jones’ absence, the Giants have pounded the ball with Saquon Barkley and the rest of the running back committee, leading the NFL with 39.3 rushing attempts per game in that span.
Even with Jones back, the Giants will still lean heavily on Barkley, who has averaged 27 rushes per game over the last three weeks with a combined 14 targets in that stretch, too.
That said, Barkley (ankle) enters Sunday with a questionable tag, while tight end Darren Waller (hamstring) has already been ruled out, limiting New York’s already dismal upside in the passing game.
As long as Barkley plays, though, the Giants get a slight edge, as the Raiders allow the third-most rushing yards per game (140.6) and seventh-most yards per rush attempt (4.5) to opponents. Further, the Giants’ defense has been playing much better, allowing the fewest points per game (11.3) in the NFL over their past three games.
The Raiders’ offense has simply been atrocious this season, and putting a fourth-round rookie quarterback under center while also firing their head coach and general manager is not going to change the trajectory of their season miraculously. Take the Giants with plus-money odds here.
Point Spread
Neither of these teams have impressed against the spread this season, with the Raiders posting a 3-5 ATS record and the Giants sitting at 2-5-1 ATS entering Sunday afternoon.
As alluded to above, the Giants have an edge in this game for several reasons. For one, their defense has stepped up in the past few weeks, allowing just 11.3 points per game since being hammered by the Miami Dolphins in Week 5.
Additionally, Las Vegas lacks any cohesion offensively, as it has had no luck in the passing game this season between O’Connell, Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer. The Raiders also haven’t gotten the output from Jacobs (3.1 yards per carry) that they’d expect, especially considering he led the NFL in rushing yards (1,653) just last season.
As mentioned earlier, the Raiders’ rush defense has been atrocious, allowing nearly 141 rushing yards on 4.5 yards per carry this season. While the Giants’ O-line has been dreadful this year, ranking dead last in sack rate allowed (14.3%), the Raiders’ D-line is so poor that the talented Barkley should still be able to pick up meaningful yards, slowly but surely wearing down that Las Vegas front line throughout the game.
Over/Under
The Over/Under for this matchup between two struggling teams sits at 37 points, highlighting sportsbooks’ lack of faith in either of these offenses.
New York has cashed the Under in six straight weeks entering Sunday, including three straight that would have finished below this total of 37 points. Meanwhile, the Raiders are 6-2 to the Under this season but have surpassed this betting total in six of their past seven outings.
Still, these teams have a combined 13-3 record to the Under record this season, and Jones and O’Connell are not two quarterbacks who have our faith in putting up an abundance of points.
Jones has failed to throw a touchdown in four of his five starts this season, with the Giants’ Week 2 win against the lowly Arizona Cardinals being the only exception. Further, O’Connell will be starting in just his second NFL game on Sunday, with a new interim head coach at the helm.
While this point total is meager, it still feels justified. Las Vegas has allowed the ninth-fewest points at home this season (17.7 PPG), while New York has allowed the fewest points to opponents in its past three games. This could be another game with a point total that finishes in the low-to-mid-30s.
Player Prop
It has been tough sledding for the Raiders and their offensive unit, particularly at the quarterback position. Garoppolo was not the answer to their problems, and now the team will roll out the rookie O’Connell under center against the Giants in Week 9.
One of the biggest losers from the Raiders’ revolving door at QB has been Adams, the team’s star receiver who finished with just one catch for 11 yards in last week’s loss to the Lions.
Adams’ receiving yards player prop line rests at 72.5 for this game, a total he has failed to reach in four consecutive games. It nearly would have been five in a row, as he tallied just 75 receiving yards in Week 4.
Additionally, the Giants have allowed the 11th-fewest passing yards per game (219.3) on the lowest completion percentage (53.7%) over the past three weeks.
Even with the loss of defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who was traded to the Seattle Seahawks at the deadline, this defense is trending in the right direction and should be able to limit Adams on Sunday.
Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
