Detroit Lions
vs.
New York Giants
Week 15
NFL Pick
By Jason Green
12/18/16
The Lions have won five in a row and they are in first place in the NFC North. They have a 2 Game lead over the Minnesota Vikings, who they have beaten twice in their 5-Game streak. In that streak the Vikings are the only team that has a winning record. While Matthew Stafford has played well this season and is getting some MVP buzz it is the Lions’ defense that has been the main reason they are winning. They rank 10th in the league in opponents’ points per Game and in their win streak they have not given up more than 19 points oNCe.
The Giants are coming off a HUGE win over the Dallas Cowboys where they held America’s team to only 7 points. New York is in the lead in the NFC Wild Card and they are 2 Games back of the Cowboys in the NFC East. Their offense fell pretty flat in the win over Dallas, but their defense played great. That D, which ranks 7th in the league in opponents’ points per Game, has to play well as even though Eli Manning has been decent this season the G-Men rank 2nd to last in rushing yards per Game and only 25th in points per Game.
The road team have covered the spread in 6 of the last 7 Games between these teams.
In their last Game the Lions beat the Chicago Bears 20-17 where they failed to cover the spread as a 7.5-point home favorite.
The Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys 10-7 in their last Game at home where they covered as a 3.5-point underdog.
The Lions did not have an overly impressive Game in their last one facing the Bears where they only had 323 yards of total offense and Stafford threw 2 TD. However, the defense played well holding Chicago to 296 yards and kept them under 100 rushing yards. Stafford did pass for 223 yards with a TD and he also had the go ahead TD on a rushing TD, While the Lions have not ran the ball well this season they did have 114 yards on the ground in the Bears’ win with Dwayne Washington rushing for 64 yards.
Stafford and company will be facing a New York defense that only ranks 23rd against the pass, but 8th against the run.
The Giants only had 260 total yards of offense in the win over the Cowboys, but they forced 2 turnovers. Manning passed for 193 of those yards with a TD and an INT and New York had 93 rushing yards. Their D won the Game and while they held Dak Prescott in check Dallas RB Ezekiel Elliot rushed for 107 yards.
The Lions rank 20th in the NFL in pass defense and 11th in run defense.
Detroit is 5-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record, 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Games overall, and in their last 7 Games the posted total has gone Under every time.
New York is 3-1-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record, 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 Games overall, and in their last 5 Games the posted total has gone Under every time.
Bettorsworld Pick – Lions +4 and UNDER 41