Panthers vs. Giants Free Pick
The New York Giants will open their new stadium with revenge on their minds when they host the Carolina Panthers this Sunday. Let’s take a look at this matchup.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com list the Giants as 6.5-point favorites over the Panthers in Week 1. The over/under total for this game has been set at 40.5 points.
Panthers Win If:
The defense can slow Eli Manning and the Giants’ passing game. New York has one of those offenses that lacks game-changers, but it’s also a unit that can score 30 points a game. The G-Men ranked 8th in the league last year in total offense and have enough weapons to beat opponents both through the air and on the ground. That means the young, inexperienced Carolina defense needs to limit the big play and get off the field on third downs. The Panthers can’t give the Giants extra chances to make plays, which means John Fox’s squad almost has to play a perfect game defensively. Julius Peppers (Bears) is gone and so is Thomas Davis, who was lost for the season due to an offseason injury. James Anderson, Charles Godfrey and Sherrod Martin are just three players that must step up.
Giants Win If:
They can stop the run. The Panthers should once again have one of the best rushing attacks in the league, led by the duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. If the Giants’ front seven can’t slow those two players, then it’s going to be a long day for them in the Big Apple. The run opens up things in the passing game and if Matt Moore has open receivers then it won’t matter how many changes the Giants made to their defense this offseason. That said, the hiring of Perry Fewell should prove to be a massive upgrade over former DC Bill Sheridan and New York should get back to doing what it does best: rushing the passer. It all starts up front though – this team must stop the run.
Prediction:
Some pundits see Carolina being a sleeper in the NFC, but I don’t see it – not with that defense. I like the Giants in this matchup and I actually think they’ll roll. They’re not going to lose with the opening of a new stadium and after they got smoked by the Panthers last year at home. If they do, then Tom Coughlin might want to polish up that resume because things may go down in a hurry after this week. We’ll see what the new-look Giants are made of, but I like them in a somewhat high-scoring affair this Sunday.
2010 NFL Week 1 Free Pick: NEW YORK GIANTS –6.5 & OVER 40.5