Amazingly we have reached the penultimate week of the NFL regular season and a week which takes in matches on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day kicks off with a divisional clash on the traditional Thursday Night Football.
Philadelphia Eagles host the New York Giants with a massive NFC East clash for the visitors. The Giants can move to within a win of the Dallas Cowboys at the top of the division with a win here. Philadelphia are out of playoff contention but they would love nothing more than to spoil the party of the Big Blue.
Philadelphia Eagles
It is now five defeats in a row for the Eagles although they might actually have arrested that slump last week had they kicked the PAT at the end and forced overtime with the Baltimore Ravens. They didn’t though, they went for two, failed to convert and ended up losing in regulation time and that play and play call very much summed up their mind-set now.
In this run of theirs the defence has given up a lot of points and yards and Carson Wentz has slid a little and indeed if he doesn’t have Zach Ertz to go to he isn’t really making a lot of plays and that is a big concern. Darren Sproles is expected to be fit for the match which is some solace for the Eagles heading into the match.
New York Giants
The Giants are timing their run brilliantly. They have won eight of their last nine matches with the only slip up in that time coming in Pittsburgh which is by no means a bad result. One of the reasons for their massive improvement is the quality they are providing on defence and when you think ace pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul is missing that is all the more remarkable.
New York Giants rarely dazzle on offense but they don’t need to. With Odell Beckham Jr they have one of the best receivers in the league and you just know that at some point he is going to make a big play which becomes a game changer. Eli’s poise under pressure serves them well too.
Betting
I hate taking roads sides to win on Thursday night games because of the short week to prepare and travel and everything else but this one is a little easier in that regard for a couple of reasons.
Firstly this isn’t a trip New York Giants do every so often. They make it every season and secondly the Eagles look like they are done for the season so I like the Giants to win here but the sheer nature of it being a Thursday night game and the fact it is all about winning for them now rather than piling up the score I don’t think the visitors will run away with it.
On the winning margins we can get solid odds against that the Gmen win by 1-13pts and that gives us enough of a margin to be confident of a punt.
Tips
Back New York Giants to win by 1-13pts for a 4/10 stake at 2.30 with Paddy Power
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