Saints in letdown spot, Giants in rebound game
Off their huge win last week to stay unbeaten, Marques Colston and the New Orleans Saints will look to avoid a letdown this Sunday in Miami when they travel to face the Dolphins as 6½-point favorites. Meanwhile Eli Manning and the New York Giants, who fell to the Saints in the Big Easy last Sunday, are back home in the Meadowlands where they will try and rebound as 7-point chalk against the Cardinals.
Two terms you’ll hear sharp bettors throw around from time to time are “letdown spot” and “rebound game.” The latter refers to when a solid wager is coming off a disappointing game, and is set to bring a better effort. Count the New York Giants in that boat heading into their battle with the Arizona Cardinals.
Speaking of letdown spots, the New Orleans Saints could be due for just that against the Miami Dolphins after pounding the Giants last week.
New Orleans Saints at Miami Dolphins (+6.5, 47)
Sunday – 4:15 PM ET, FOX
The Dolphins (2-3, 2-3 ATS) come off their bye week to face the Saints (5-0, 5-0 ATS) on Sunday, and Miami’s defense had better be ready. New Orleans owns the top-rated offense in the league, and is rolling after its most impressive performance of the season last week against the Giants.
What’s ironic is the Dolphins could have Drew Brees under center, but they lost out on their bid to sign the star quarterback four years ago. The Saints took a chance on Brees coming off a shoulder surgery, and the move has paid dividends for the franchise.
Brees was 23-of-30 for 369 yards with four touchdowns in New Orleans’ 48-27 pasting of New York as 3.5-point chalk at the Superdome last Sunday. The Saints led 34-17 at the half, as their offense rendered the Giants’ No. 1 defense useless for the first two quarters.
It goes without saying Miami’s defense is the key to it covering. Easier said than done for the Dolphins, who hope to get linebackers Joey Porter (hamstring) and Matt Roth (groin) back in the lineup against the Saints. Porter missed the last two games, while Roth has yet to play this season.
Miami ranks third in the NFL in run defense (70.4 yards against per game) and it’ll need to stop New Orleans’ backfield trio of Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell, and Reggie Bush to be successful. The Saints owe much of their profitability to an improved running game, which is averaging 159.6 YPG – 60 more yards than last season.
Look for the Dolphins to use their run game (tops in the NFL at 177.0 YPG) to slow down the clock and keep the game under the 47-point total. The strategy will give Miami bettors a chance against the number, but it isn’t likely to be enough against the best bet in football.
Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants (-7, 46)
Sunday – 8:20 PM ET, NBC
Due to bounce back after getting ripped (on the field, not on Bourbon Street) in the Big Easy, the Giants (5-1, 4-1-1 ATS) face a similar beast in the Cardinals (3-2, 3-2 ATS) in the Sunday nighter.
Arizona is no New Orleans, but it presents a similar challenge for New York’s defense, which was lit up against the Saints. The Cardinals’ offense is finding its stride after a slow start, and has five players with at least 15 receptions and four touchdowns apiece.
One of those weapons could sit out on Sunday. Anquan Boldin missed practice on Wednesday because of a high ankle sprain suffered in Arizona’s 27-3 win as 3-point pups last week at Seattle, and is considered questionable. Boldin’s absence would allow New York to zero in on Larry Fitzgerald, who hauled in 13 balls for 100 yards with a score last week.
Despite the emergence of the other Steve Smith as the league’s leading receiver through Week 6, the Giants remain primarily a run-first team. Lost in the shuffle during the Cards’ money-making run to the Super Bowl last year was the vast improvement of their run defense in the playoffs. The success has carried over, and Arizona rolls into Sunday with the best unit in the NFL at 59.6 rushing yards against per game.
That’ll be the key to a backdoor cover for the Cardinals on Sunday. The Giants will rebound on their home turf, but Arizona’s run defense figures to be the difference for underdog bettors.
New York (-3) took down Arizona 37-29 in Phoenix when the teams met last November, holding the Cards to only 23 yards rushing in the payday. Eli Manning had one of his best games of last season, going 26-of-33 for 240 yards with three TDs against Arizona.
Off their huge win last week to stay unbeaten, Marques Colston and the New Orleans Saints will look to avoid a letdown this Sunday in Miami when they travel to face the Dolphins as 6½-point favorites. Meanwhile Eli Manning and the New York Giants, who fell to the Saints in the Big Easy last Sunday, are back home in the Meadowlands where they will try and rebound as 7-point chalk against the Cardinals.
Two terms you’ll hear sharp bettors throw around from time to time are “letdown spot” and “rebound game.” The latter refers to when a solid wager is coming off a disappointing game, and is set to bring a better effort. Count the New York Giants in that boat heading into their battle with the Arizona Cardinals.
Speaking of letdown spots, the New Orleans Saints could be due for just that against the Miami Dolphins after pounding the Giants last week.
New Orleans Saints at Miami Dolphins (+6.5, 47)
Sunday – 4:15 PM ET, FOX
The Dolphins (2-3, 2-3 ATS) come off their bye week to face the Saints (5-0, 5-0 ATS) on Sunday, and Miami’s defense had better be ready. New Orleans owns the top-rated offense in the league, and is rolling after its most impressive performance of the season last week against the Giants.
What’s ironic is the Dolphins could have Drew Brees under center, but they lost out on their bid to sign the star quarterback four years ago. The Saints took a chance on Brees coming off a shoulder surgery, and the move has paid dividends for the franchise.
Brees was 23-of-30 for 369 yards with four touchdowns in New Orleans’ 48-27 pasting of New York as 3.5-point chalk at the Superdome last Sunday. The Saints led 34-17 at the half, as their offense rendered the Giants’ No. 1 defense useless for the first two quarters.
It goes without saying Miami’s defense is the key to it covering. Easier said than done for the Dolphins, who hope to get linebackers Joey Porter (hamstring) and Matt Roth (groin) back in the lineup against the Saints. Porter missed the last two games, while Roth has yet to play this season.
Miami ranks third in the NFL in run defense (70.4 yards against per game) and it’ll need to stop New Orleans’ backfield trio of Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell, and Reggie Bush to be successful. The Saints owe much of their profitability to an improved running game, which is averaging 159.6 YPG – 60 more yards than last season.
Look for the Dolphins to use their run game (tops in the NFL at 177.0 YPG) to slow down the clock and keep the game under the 47-point total. The strategy will give Miami bettors a chance against the number, but it isn’t likely to be enough against the best bet in football.
Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants (-7, 46)
Sunday – 8:20 PM ET, NBC
Due to bounce back after getting ripped (on the field, not on Bourbon Street) in the Big Easy, the Giants (5-1, 4-1-1 ATS) face a similar beast in the Cardinals (3-2, 3-2 ATS) in the Sunday nighter.
Arizona is no New Orleans, but it presents a similar challenge for New York’s defense, which was lit up against the Saints. The Cardinals’ offense is finding its stride after a slow start, and has five players with at least 15 receptions and four touchdowns apiece.
One of those weapons could sit out on Sunday. Anquan Boldin missed practice on Wednesday because of a high ankle sprain suffered in Arizona’s 27-3 win as 3-point pups last week at Seattle, and is considered questionable. Boldin’s absence would allow New York to zero in on Larry Fitzgerald, who hauled in 13 balls for 100 yards with a score last week.
Despite the emergence of the other Steve Smith as the league’s leading receiver through Week 6, the Giants remain primarily a run-first team. Lost in the shuffle during the Cards’ money-making run to the Super Bowl last year was the vast improvement of their run defense in the playoffs. The success has carried over, and Arizona rolls into Sunday with the best unit in the NFL at 59.6 rushing yards against per game.
That’ll be the key to a backdoor cover for the Cardinals on Sunday. The Giants will rebound on their home turf, but Arizona’s run defense figures to be the difference for underdog bettors.
New York (-3) took down Arizona 37-29 in Phoenix when the teams met last November, holding the Cards to only 23 yards rushing in the payday. Eli Manning had one of his best games of last season, going 26-of-33 for 240 yards with three TDs against Arizona.