So, how spolied were we in Week 4, eh? This past Sunday brought us 12-straight hours of non-stop football. Although Week 5 won’t have the luxury of another day game across the Atlantic to kick things off, the action in the league is still at full-blast as teams continue to take form after a quarter of a season of play.
The matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants next Sunday night promises to live up to its marquee billing, and we have our in-depth look at this bout below. For our coverage on the other Week 5 primetime games, go on and check out our previews for Indianapolis vs. Houston this Thursday night and MNF’s Pittsburgh vs. San Diego right after this.
[sc:Football ]San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Giants Preview
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
When: Sunday, October 11, 2015 8:30 PM ET
Line: San Francisco 49ers (+7) at New York Giants (-7); total: 43.0 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: NBC
Betting on the San Francisco 49ers
Things just keep getting worse by the week for the San Francisco 49ers. After putting up just a single touchdown in Week 3’s loss to Arizona, the Niners failed to find the end zone the next time around, leading to a 17-3 rout by the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
[sc:NFL240banner ]What many Bay Area fans perceived as a sleeper season for their massively depleted team after an impressive opening week win against the Vikings, San Francisco’s campaign has suddenly turned into a complete nightmare. Three straight losses and being outscored 107-28 by the opposition in that span have in Niners in total free fall.
Blame it on San Fran’s O-line – a unit that has not been able to protect the quarterback or create lanes for the running game. Colin Kaepernick was sacked six times by Green Bay on Sunday en route to a subpar 13-of-25 day for 160 passing yards and a 55.4 passer rating, as well as being on the receiving end of nasty ridicules courtesy of the Packers’ Clay Matthews (exhibits A and B, ladies and gentlemen). To add insult to injury, Kap has now thrown five picks in the past two games.
Even running back Carlos Hyde, the 49ers’ last saving grace for a team that leans heavily on the run on offense, was limited to just 20 yards on eight carries. Head coach Jim Tomsula needs to embrace the fact that Hyde must get more than just eight touches a game (he was averaging 18 attempts per contest through the first three weeks).
However, running against the Giants this Sunday is easier said than done. New York is only giving up 74.7 rushing yards per game – good for second-best in the NFL. That means Kaepernick has got to compose himself after a string of bad outings, as the Giants are the second-worst team in the league against the pass (a whopping 335.7 passing yards allowed per game).
And at least the 49ers’ D somehow managed to hold its own ground, surrendering just 17 points to mighty Green Bay, who has averaged 32 points per contest before Sunday’s game.
San Francisco is 0-4 SU/ATS in its last four games away from Levi’s Stadium.
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Betting on the New York Giants
As the Niners continue to struggle out West, the New York Giants, meanwhile, are just beginning to peak over in the East. The G-Men picked up another quality victory in a 24-10 beating of the Buffalo Bills on the road this past Sunday – the team’s second-straight win.
New York looks to have gotten over its pair of crushing losses from Weeks 1 and 2, when the team squandered double-digit leads in the fourth quarter on both occasions. Running back Rashad Jennings made sure that the Giants maintained their late-game lead in Sunday’s game with a 51-yard catch-and-go for a touchdown in the final quarter to put his team up by 14 points for good. He would go on to lead all his teammates in rushing yards (38 on nine carries) and receiving yards (54) for the game.
And what would Jennings be without another solid outing from Eli Manning? The Giants’ long-time play-caller threw for 212 yards and three touchdowns on 20-of-35 passing. Manning did, however, throw his first pick in 148 attempts for the season, albeit in his final pass of the game when New York’s lead was well-beyond Buffalo’s reach.
Another aspect of New York’s game that look to have improved on Sunday is its defense, although the Bills may have had a hand in it themselves. The Giants D held Buffalo to just 77 yards and two first downs in its first nine possessions of the game to go with Rex Ryan’s boys committing 17 penalties in the contest, with two of them rescinding touchdown plays.
Look for Manning to torch the Niners this coming Sunday night at MetLife. San Francisco is giving up an average of 284.3 passing yards per game (27th in the league).
The Giants are 5-2 ATS/SU in its last seven games against the 49ers.
Writer’s Prediction
The Giants (-7) cruise to a 27-10 victory.
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