Commanders vs Giants Preview: New York Among NFL’s Worst Against Spread
Giants just 1-6 ATS dating to last season's playoffs
Is it too late for the New York Giants to turn around their season? The Giants will look to get back on track against the NFC East rival Washington Commanders on Sunday (1 p.m. ET).
After opening as a half-point underdog, New York is now up to +2.5 (+100) on the spread and +130 on the moneyline. Conversely, the Commanders are -2.5 (-120) on the spread and a -150 favorite to win outright. The projected total has dropped from 43 to 37.5 (-108 Over, -112 Under), the second-lowest total of Week 7.
Read on as we dive into the odds and break down both teams in our Commanders vs Giants preview.
Washington Commanders at New York Giants 
Date/Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Where: MetLife Stadium; East Rutherford, N.J.
Streaming: CBS
Betting Trends
The Washington Commanders are 3-3 against the spread this season. But they’re 7-2 ATS in their last nine road games. Notably, the total has gone Under in 13 of the Commanders’ previous 20 games. Meanwhile, the New York Giants are just 1-5 ATS this year and 1-6 over their last seven games. The total has gone Under in six of the Giants’ last seven NFL games, including 14 of the previous 20 at home. That’s important to remember when assessing the odds in our Commanders vs Giants preview.
New York Mess
The New York Giants nearly pulled off the biggest upset of Week 6, falling 14-9 to the Buffalo Bills as a 15-point underdog. If it’s any consolation to bettors, the Giants covered the spread for the first time in six tries this season. The Giants’ 16.7% cover rate is tied for the second-lowest in the NFL.
With Daniel Jones still sidelined, veteran Tyrod Taylor is expected to start his second consecutive game at quarterback. Against Buffalo, Taylor completed 24 of 36 passes for 200 yards but failed to reach the end zone. The Giants have now gone three straight games without a touchdown, dating to a 30-12 loss to San Francisco on Sept. 21, per NFL scores.
New York has been hugely disappointing on the heels of last year’s surprising run to the NFC Divisional playoffs. The Giants are just 1-5 and rank dead last in the NFL in scoring (11.8 points per game). Injuries and an inept offensive line have been among the biggest culprits. Jones, who missed the Buffalo loss with a neck injury, has been sacked 28 times in five games, second-most in the NFL behind Washington’s Sam Howell (34).
Star running back Saquon Barkley returned against Buffalo after sitting out three games with a high-ankle sprain, but the Giants still managed only 317 yards and were held under 10 points for the third time on the NFL season schedule.
There doesn’t appear to be much hope for a turnaround. Sitting last place in the NFC East, the Giants are now off the board to make the playoffs. They may even have trouble hitting their projected regular-season win total of 7.5. If they aren’t already, all eyes will soon be on the 2024 NFL Draft. This is a situation to avoid.
One Step Forward, One Step Back
The Washington Commanders halted their three-game losing streak with a 24-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6. A 1.5-point underdog, Washington used three touchdown passes from Howell to cover the spread for the second time in three weeks.
Washington is now 3-3, good for third place in the NFC East. It’s just +325 to make the playoffs, showing that oddsmakers still aren’t buying the Commanders as a legitimate contender.
Defense remains an issue. Before last week, the Commanders had allowed 33 or more points in four consecutive games. They’ve given up an average of 29.3 points on the season and rank 29th in total defense (377.2 yards allowed per game).
Notably, rookie cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, drafted 16th overall out of Mississippi State, has already been benched. The Commanders rank near the middle of the pack with eight takeaways.
The Commanders seem like a decent bet to surpass their projected regular-season win total of 6.5. However, their ceiling is relatively limited until they shore up their defense and fix the protection issues on the opposite side of the ball. Keep that in mind when analyzing our Commanders vs Giants preview.
Handicapping the Game
The Giants have been woeful. But, some positive regression is expected. Their offense can’t be this bad for much longer, can it?
Washington has had similar issues along the offensive line, which Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will surely look to exploit. The Giants did well keeping Josh Allen in check.
This is a potential bounce-back opportunity for New York at home. Look for the Giants to keep this close, if not win outright.
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