47-48
2-1 yesterday in CFB with a nice backdoor on Wyoming to make up for the moose on Delaware State. It all evens out in the end.
The Wyoming game opened up at -7.5 over Hawaii. Regardless of how it got there, that line was a loser. The -4.5 we waited for?
A winner.
And I am here to say that there are two very basic angles in this game that I cannot ignore when it comes to these two teams: the line and the desperation in the thread title.
The line?
When it comes to the Eagles and Giants, the lines, regardless of injury, simply do not enter the +6 territory often.
2016 Philly -1.5
2016 Giant -3
2015 Philly +3.5
2015 Philly -3.5
2014 Philly -1
2014 Philly -1
2013 Giants +5.5 (Giants won on the road outright if you care)
2013 Philly -1
2012 Giants -6 (Giants won 42-7)
2012 Philly -2
As you can see +6 is quite the rarity. You had to wait five YEARS for such a line not just for the Giants, but for EITHER team. You have to go all the way back to the Giants at Philly in 2011 to find the Giants getting a higher number (+9), a game they won outright on the road.
So in recent history, not only do these numbers exist, but when they get this high, the Giants, undervalued and injured, typically respond.
And to me this is a very big line even with all the injuries.
I believe many here were waiting for this line to get to 7. Maybe it will before kick-off. But the fact that it hasn't gotten there, that the books have been taking Eagles money all week and won't even move this to a key number which pushes, screams the Giants are the play as the public piles on the Eagles due to the Giants putrid recent performances.
That is from a line value standpoint (and the value here is in the Giants corner by far) and a line reading standpoint (I find it very hard to believe this never hit -7 with massive juice).
So yes ODB is hampered, Jenkins had limited practice time, TE Engram is on concussion protocol and the Giants have looked as bad as possible through two games, but a team is never as bad as it's worst game, which the Giants have had already.
The second angle is about Giants leaving it all out on the field. The players and coaches know the mountain they will have to climb to get out of an 0-3 hole. There will be a classic maximum effort mantra today.
Also, Giants vs. Philly has always been a historic rivalry and this is not a true road game with travel for the Giants as Philly is right here (Giants stadium is in NJ off Exit 16 and Philly is 1 to 1.5 hours away). So that is an advantage.
And the Giants have to ask themselves this: Do they want the hated Eagles to be the team ending their season (and its effectively ended at 0-3)?
I believe, having watched the Giants for so many years, you absolutely will not see them dog it today. Look at what Iowa did today with so much inferior talent to Penn State. They lost in the final seconds but covered easily. They found a way (to get the cover). Whatever it took. The Giants will empty the playbook here and find a way.
It will be a balmy 88 degrees today and I don't know what that means for either team but the Giants will come to play. Many cliches here. But cliches are borne from reality.
And win or lose, the reality is +6 is too much to spot a Giants team in this spot against the despised Eagles, regardless of walking boot or hospital gown attire. We'll get back to .500 and move forward.
GIANTS +6 over EAGLES