It’s officially the middle of October, and the Giants are not only still playing meaningful football games, but they also own of the NFC’s best records. It improved to 4-1 after an impressive comeback victory against the Green Bay Packers in London last Sunday.
Their reward? Well, that’ll be to return home to face quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. This will be another big test for New York, who enter as six-point home underdogs, per Sports Betting Dime.
This game will kick off at 1 pm ET on CBS. Here are our staff picks for this week’s matchup.
Josh Benjamin, staff writer (6-4 against the spread, 7-3 straight-up): Brian Daboll’s coaching has energized the Giants to a 4-1 start and this week should be an absolute coaching clinic against John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately for the G-Men, they don’t have Lamar Jackson and a big, bruising Mark Andrews at tight end. Baltimore’s defense is banged up and suspect enough that New York will keep things interesting but, again, they still don’t have Lamar Jackson. That’s the difference-maker this week. Ravens 31, Giants 24.
Danny Small, staff writer (6-4, 6-4): I have no idea how to handicap the Giants anymore. Last week was supposed to finally be the game where they came back down to Earth. Is it this week against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens? If anyone can slow down Jackson, maybe it’s former Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. The Giants keep this one close, but Jackson is too good to keep in check for 60 minutes. Ravens 24, Giants 20.
Ryan Honey, staff writer (5-5, 5-5): The Giants have won two straight. The run game and Wink Martindale’s defense continue to impress and will have the opportunity to build on their strong performances against the Ravens on Sunday. However, I’m not too confident the Giants will be able to squeak out a win against arguably the best quarterback they’ve faced thus far on the year.
Lamar Jackson has thrown for 1,067 yards to go with 374 rushing yards through Baltimore’s first five games. He also has a receiving corps that is a bit more talented than the weak Packers receiving corps the Giants faced last week. Considering that, and the fact Big Blue is dealing with various injuries in the secondary, it’s unclear if the defense will be able to truly weaken the Baltimore passing attack. I honestly think the defensive backfield takes a step back in Week 6. Ravens 27, Giants 20.
Matt Musico, editor (7-3, 6-4): The Giants have been awfully impressive this year, and not just in winning games. They’ve found a way to keep things close throughout each of the first five weeks. Being within striking distance has allowed the offense time to adjust and make a run in the second half. As noted above, this will be the defense’s biggest test, but it’s also a revenge game for defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. I think Jackson will be too much to contain, but Big Blue at least keeps it close in front of the home crowd. Ravens 30, Giants 23.
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
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