Giants Open as 5.5-Point Underdogs vs Philadelphia
In what has been a season of trying to overcome the odds, both on the field and in the betting markets, the New York Giants are set to wrap up their 2023 season as--you guessed it--underdogs.
According to FanDuel, the Giants will open Week 18’s season finale with the Philadelphia Eagles as a 5.5-point underdog. The line is a five-point drop from the first matchup with the Eagles and the team’s fifteenth overall game as the underdog in 2023.
While Philadelphia continues to hold its grip on this NFC East rivalry, winning 17 of the last 20 contests with New York, the Giants have had recent success being the David that beats Goliath. Their three-game win streak under quarterback Tommy DeVito from Weeks 11-14 saw the Giants beat opponents with opening spreads as large as 10 points, and the team took four contests from the favorites in their first six games of the 2022 season.
The margin is also likely cut in half for the second part of the annual series due to the Eagles’ turmoil down the final stretch of the regular season. Philadelphia is set to be a playoff team with either a division crown or a Wild Card round appearance, but their offense has looked like a complete shell of itself against a mix of premier and less-talented teams in the last few weeks.
After posting five games of at least 30 points in their first 11 games, the Eagles have reached that mark only twice in their last five, including the 33-25 nailbiter with the Giants at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 16. They’ve taken a dip in the rankings with their turnovers, lost some important pieces in their bereft secondary, and underperformed defensively to lose four of their last five contests and drain momentum at the worst time of the season.
It remains to be seen whether the Eagles will suit up the majority of their starting players for the finale, given their postseason positioning and head coach Nick Sirianni’s consideration to bench their guys for the bigger picture. As of right now, those guys are still set to play on Sunday. They can be a force to be reckoned with if they flip the switch with a Giants franchise they’ve historically dominated.
Despite their recent offensive woes, quarterback Jalen Hurts has built an impressive campaign that was once up for contention in the league’s MVP race. In his fourth NFL season, the former Alabama and Oklahoma product sits 11th amongst his fellow passers with 3,803 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions to go with his 601 yards and 15 scores on the ground.
Under his leadership, the Eagles still hold one of the most potent units in the entire sport, averaging a seventh-best 26.4 points per game and a close eighth-best total yardage output. They are top-15 in yards, touchdowns, and average through the air and among the top-10 in pounding the football up the gut behind a trio of aggressive running backs.
The Eagles may not always score with the ball in their hands, but they can do a solid job at maintaining possession for huge chunks of a game. In 16 games, Philadelphia averages 3:04 minutes per drive and 6.57 plays for 34.9 yards. Regarding scoring, they still hold the sixth-best rank at 2.45 points and a red zone percentage of 60.3%.
The defense will be where the Giants could make their payday against the Eagles and claim their stake at an upset win. After posting over 380 yards of total offense last Sunday against the Rams, the Eagles are hurting with injuries to their secondary and have been allowing some of the highest numbers in all the major passing statistics.
Perhaps a few more forced turnovers could also make this final game a little more interesting. Either way, it’s one hanging on pride and rivalry for the Giants, who will look ahead to closing the gap with this Eagles team heading into 2024.
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