Giants vs Falcons NFL Week 7 Lines & Analysis

Giants fans and New York sportswriters are calling for an end to the career of two-time Super Bowl winner Eli Manning, as the storied quarterback appears to be reaching the limits of what he can do physically. The Giants are just 1-5 on the season, and in losses to Carolina and Philadelphia, in particular, it is clear that Manning no longer can stand and throw the ball down the field consistently. On Monday Night Football, the Giants visit another team struggling with consistency in the 2-4 Atlanta Falcons. The problems for the Falcons come on the other side of the ball, though, as they have given up at least 37 points in three of their last four games and needed to crack 40 to beat Tampa Bay. Can Eli Manning have a throwback game against the Falcons? Or will Atlanta show some defensive starch in prime time? We have a NFL betting preview to help you decide which way to wager for Giants vs Falcons.

Giants vs Falcons NFL Week 7 Lines & Analysis

Don’t miss @oliviervernon54 preview #NYGvsATL on Giants First & 10 presented by @stopandshop at 6PM on @MSGNetworks. pic.twitter.com/mQSGCLvAAb

— New York Giants (@Giants) October 19, 2018

• When: Monday, October 22, 2018, 8:15pm ET
• Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: Westwood One
• Live Stream: NFL Live
• NFL Odds: Atlanta -3 / O/U 54

Why should you bet on the Giants?

If there is a bright spot for the Giants so far this season, it’s rookie tailback Saquon Barkley. The Penn State phenom was the only headline for the G-men against Philadelphia as he needed just 13 carries to pick up 130 yards and score a touchdown, and he also hauled in nine catches for 99 yards. Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr was over on the sideline head-butting an industrial fan, and Manning was struggling to throw the ball more than five or ten yards down the field, but Barkley was still producing. The problem was that, at least against Philadelphia, Barkley can’t carry the time by himself. The Giants’ defense has been average at best but has cracked at just the wrong times this season, perhaps starting with that bomb that Dak Prescott completed to Tavon Austin in the Giants’ Week 2 loss down in Dallas. The Giants have covered the spread six times in their last eight games coming after a loss against the spread. However, they have only covered three times in their last 10 games against a team that is below .500. Monday nights have not been kind to the Giants, as they have covered just twice in their last seven appearances.

Why should you put your money on the Falcons?

Despite having a terrific offense led by Matt Ryan, with wideouts Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu, the Falcons have struggled to find consistency. Their two wins have come in the division (Carolina and Tampa Bay) but their losses have come when they simply couldn’t get the other team’s offense off the field. Ryan looked great against Tampa Bay last week, throwing for 354 yards and three touchdowns. However, the running game didn’t provide balance, as Tevin Coleman only gained 35 yards. The larger problems are on defense, as we mentioned earlier. The pass rush is solid, but the secondary remains inexperienced and misses on coverage far too often for this team to be able to cover for it. They have played well on Monday nights, though, covering the spread in five of their last six appearances. However, they have covered just twice in their last seven games overall. This inconsistency explains the spread, which basically gives the Falcons three points for being the home team.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction for Giants vs Falcons

Atlanta has far better offensive talent right now than the Giants, and even the Falcons’ defense should be able to do enough to control Barkley and get Manning off the field. This could turn into a bit of a track meet if Manning snaps out of his funk, but even so, I see the Falcons winning. I predict a final score of Atlanta 31, New York 23.