NEW YORK GIANTS VS CLEVELAND BROWNS (PHI -3, 49.5)
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NEW YORK GIANTS VS CLEVELAND BROWNS
The Cleveland Browns managed to steer the ship back in the right direction in Week 2 with a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. They’re now 1-1, and a potential win over the New York Giants would really get the fan base off Deshaun Watson’s back, even if only for a short while.
Cleveland’s offense has struggled to find a rhythm, leaning heavily on the pass despite a lack of cohesion between the quarterback and his receivers. The Browns are dropping back to pass on 64% of their plays, good for the 5th highest percentage in the NFL. Their 3.9 yards of offense per play ranks 30th, with the struggles on the field proving a problem, converting on only 14% of third downs (31st).
On the flip side, Cleveland’s pass defense under Jim Schwartz has continued its dominance from the 2023 season. They currently rank 1st in pass completion percentage allowed, while also ranking in the top ten in third down conversions.
As for the Giants, the 0-2 record is concerning, but not surprising. There were not many that expected the G-Men to be competitive in 2024, but the two games they’ve played so far have only had them set as a one point underdog before kickoff. The Giants have lost those games by a combined 25 points, including the Week 1 beatdown at the hands of Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings.
New York can take something from an improved offensive performance in Week 2, especially in the emergence of rookie receiver Malik Nabers. They may even have won the game had he come up with a tough catch down the stretch.
Scoring points is an issue for them though, currently averaging 12 a game, ranking 31st in the NFL. Much like the Browns, the Giants also lean further into the pass game, dropping back 64% of the time, but a 54% completion percentage puts them 30th.
Unfortunately, the Giants don’t possess a powerful pass defense, or the dominance in the pass rush via a figure of Myles Garrett’s caliber. The Giants are dead last in completion percentage allowed, giving up almost 80%. They’re 27th in yards per pass, and 29th in yards per rush.
While this one features two sputtering offenses, the game is likely to come down to who has the better defense, and that’s an uphill battle for Daniel Jones and the Giants on the road.
Cleveland are a 6.5 point favorite, but are 1-1 so far this season against the spread. The Giants are 0-2 against the spread, and 0-2 on over/unders so far this year too.
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