Monday night football betting preview: Giants at Eagles
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Eli Manning will get another chance in a Giants jersey, after all. The franchise's longtime quarterback will suit up Monday night for New York, which is without rookie starter Daniel Jones due to a high ankle sprain. It could be a blessing for the Eagles, who desperately need to beat up on their division rival to have any shot at a playoff berth.
Here's everything you need to know about the matchup from a betting perspective:
(Trends are from Sports Database unless noted otherwise.)
Line movement
The Eagles opened as 9-point favorites and haven't moved all week, even with the quarterback change. The total has ticked down from 47 to 46, perhaps a fade of the Giants' offense under Manning.
Betting trends
There's no way around it: both of these teams are off the rails. New York has lost its last eight games and is 2-6 against the spread during that stretch. Philly has dropped three straight and five of its last seven, punctuated by last week's embarrassing loss in Miami.
It was coach Doug Pederson's fourth ATS loss in his last five games giving more than seven points. He's just 4-7-1 ATS (36.4%) as a home favorite in the last two seasons and 11-14 ATS (44%) after a loss. He's also a disappointing 8-12 ATS (40%) in his career against divisional foes.
Generally, betting big favorites with losing records has been a lousy play. Teams below .500 giving at least nine points are 6-10 ATS (37.5%) since 2017 and 44-58-2 ATS (43.1%) in the last 20 years.
As dreadful as the Giants have been this season, this is still a strong trend play for coach Pat Shurmur, who's 9-3 ATS (75%) as a road 'dog with New York and 16-10-1 (61.5%) in his career.
It could also be a nice over spot, given how bad these two teams' defenses have been. The Giants are tied for the best over record on the road (5-1) because of their abhorrent defense, which is allowing 30.8 points per game in those six contests.
The X-factor
For as talented as Philadelphia's defense is on paper, it's struggled in two key areas this year: tackling and defending the pass. Manning will have something to prove in what could be his last game with New York, and Giants back Saquon Barkley should give the Eagles' defense fits on Monday night.
Pick
Nobody's rushing to the window to bet on the Giants, especially not with a 38-year-old backup quarterback, which is essentially what Manning is at this stage in his career. Bettors likely aren't eager to bank on points for the same reason.
Yet, backing Philadelphia - or any losing team - as a big favorite hasn't been a smart move, and neither defense has impressed as of late. The Eagles' high-scoring loss to Miami last week is evidence enough of the Giants' chances here, so take the points and consider the over, too.
C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.