The battle for New York is on, with the Jets and Giants meeting in … New Jersey. Both teams have had to deal with injury issues at the quarterback position, but both have also apparently discovered serviceable backups. Let’s take a look at this matchup.
Jets vs. Giants Betting Lines, Start Time, and More
All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Spread: Jets -3
- Moneyline: Jets (-142), Giants (+120)
- Over/Under: 36.5
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. ET
- Location: MetLife Stadium
- Channel: CBS
Jets vs. Giants Prediction
So, the matchup that was supposed to Aaron Rodgers vs. Daniel Jones has turned into Zach Wilson vs. Tyrod Taylor.
But someone has to win this game, and each team is coming off a victory, with the Jets having won two in a row while the Giants held off the Commanders last week.
The Jets should welcome this “break’ in their schedule after playing some of the league’s most prolific offenses. Despite the win last week, the Giants are still at or near the bottom of the league in both scoring (12.1 PPG, last) and offense (278.4 YPG, 29th).
And even though the Giants are facing a bottom-10 defense for the second straight week, the Jets’ rankings defensively are living proof that, yes, the numbers do sometimes lie.
MORE: NFL Week 8 Predictions, Picks Against the Spread
The Jets are ranked 23rd in total defense, allowing 351.8 yards per game. But a look at the schedule reveals just who some of the opponents for the Jets have been early on this season:
- Three of the top five teams in total offense
- Four of the top 10 teams in scoring offense
The unique thing about the Jets is that they are 2-1 against opponents in the top five in total offense and 2-2 vs. the top 10.
Taylor does have Saquon Barkley to hand the ball off to, and Barkley is coming off a season-high 118 scrimmage yards in last week’s win over Washinton. Despite missing three games, Barkley still ranks seventh among running backs in scrimmage yards per game (92.8).
The Jets have their own all-around player in the backfield in Breece Hall. Hall, who is ninth in the league in rushing yards (426), is averaging a league-best 6.5 yards per carry this season. And since Week 5 of last season, Hall is averaging 103.2 scrimmage yards per game — fourth-highest in the NFL over that span.
But as bad as the Giants offense has been, the Jets have not been far behind. The Jets have been held under 300 total yards in four of their six games, including last week in the win over the Eagles (Jets had only 244 yards of offense).
MORE: NFL Survivor Picks Week 8
And fair or unfair, Zach Wilson may epitomize the Jets’ offensive issues more than anyone else. Consider that this season, Wilson is on pace to establish career highs in both completion percentage (60.4%) and passer rating (73.4).
The problem? Wilson’s numbers only rank him 29th in completion percentage and 30th in passer rating among 32 qualified quarterbacks in the NFL.
The Giants were one of the league’s best teams vs. the spread a season ago — 13-4 against the spread in 2022 — but those days are clearly over, for now anyway. The Giants were 10-2 ATS vs. teams outside their division, but so far this season, they are just 1-4 ATS vs non-divisional foes.
Meanwhile, the Jets are 3-1 ATS vs non-divisional opponents.
The Giants offense showed flashes in last week’s win over Washington. But there is a big difference between playing the Commanders’ defense and playing, well, anyone else’s defense.
The Jets should be able to cover a spread that is only a field goal.
Best Bet: Jets -3 (-108 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
Our Betting Lines page has the freshest lines and promos to get BANG for your buck. PFN’s FREE Parlay Calculator and Betting Odds Calculator are also available for your betting process! New to sports betting? Check out our guide on How to Bet on the NFL. Visit our Sports Betting Legal Tracker on how to bet legally in the U.S.Â
