New York Giants vs New York Jets 08/24/18 Odds, Preview and Prediction

Intra-city and intra-conference rivals New York Giants and the New York Jets square off in the Snoopy Bowl in week 3 of the 2018 NFL Preseason on Thursday, August 24, 2018 at their shared home field MetLife Stadium.

The Giants are coming off a disaster 2017 season where they started 0-5 and then suffered injuries to key players. They finished the season with a record of 3-13 good for last place in the NFC East. The Jets also had a pretty bad year in 2017 as they missed the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season after finishing with a 5-11 record. The Jets opened the season a surprising 3-2 but won only two games after week 5.

So far in the current preseason, the both the Giants are Jets are 1-1 after two weeks. The Giants lost to the Cleveland Browns in their preseason opener but they bounced back with a 30-17 over the Detroit Lions in week 2. Meanwhile, the Jets defeated the Atlanta Falcons in their opening game but were vanquished by the Washington Redskins 15-13 in a squeaker.

Resting Their Stars

The Giants would want to make an impression in this game, especially against their city rivals. But it’s unclear what kind of role their stars Eli Manning, Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham are going to play in this contest. All three didn’t see action last week for the Giants. Even the likes of Evan Engram and Sterling Shepard only saw limited action for the Giants.

In Manning’s absence, it was second year man David Webb out of California who ran the offense for the Giants. In the Giants’ win over the Lions last week, Webb went for 14-20 for 140 yards including one touchdown. In over 40 passes thrown in the preseason, Webb has not thrown an interception. Wayne Gallman also stepped up for the Giants as he rushed for 26 yards on 5 carries with one touchdown. Lule Lauletta and Robert Martin also scored rushing touchdowns for the Giants.

Mark Herzlich led the Giants’ defense with seven tackles against the Lions. Herzlich was the only Giants player with at least four sacks. Ray-Ray Armstrong had one interception while the entire Giants team had a total of four sacks.

Teddy Bridgewater led the Jets in the loss to the Redskins. Bridgewater threw for 127 yards with one touchdown and an interception. Bridgewater has thrown for 212 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in two preseason games. He appears recovered from his injury in Minnesota.
Rookie quarterback Sam Darnold also had a decent showing at 8-11 completion with 62 passing yards total. Darnold showed poise and good pocket presence on his play action passes and displayed plenty of athleticism. Veteran Josh McCown did not see action after starting their previous game. Darnold is said to have the inside track to start this game but as to who the starter in week 1 of the regular season will be, that will be a “tough choice” according to head coach Todd Bowles.

The Jets don’t have a single defensive superstar but as a team they are solid on that end of the field. The blanked the Falcons and allowed only 15 points against the Redskins. Terrence Brooks leads the Jets in preseason with 8 tackles while Doug Middleton had an interception and two tackles in their last game.

Who Wins?

Darnold showed his mettle in preseason play by proving he can handle complex defenses and blitzes. On the other hand, Bridgewater has been playing very well for the Browns too. With Darnold, Bridgewater and Josh McCown all having a real chance of getting the starting job, it will be interesting to do what the Browns are going to do in this game. Regardless though, with all three having something to prove, expect the Jets’ offense to be strong from start to finish.

Even if the Giants suit up Eli Manning, Saquon Barkley, and Odell Beckham Jr in this contest, it’s unlikely that head coach Pat Shurmur is going to leave his star players too long in this game. Manning is no longer a spring chicken while Barkley and Beckham are still on the mend from injury.

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