NY Giants (0-0) at New England (0-0)
When: Thursday, August 11th 2022
Where: Gillette Stadium,
Foxborough, MA
Time: 7:00 ET | TV: NFL Network
Opening Odds: New England -2/33
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The Hall of Fame Game is over and now it’s time to move on to a full weekend of action beginning Thursday night. The New York Giants will visit the New England Patriots to get things started. If this were a regular season matchup, the Patriots would probably be almost a touchdown favorite. However, it’s the Giants who come to Foxborough as a 2-point favorite with a total of 34.5 points. These teams meet almost every preseason alternating home venues. Last year, it was the Patriots who pulled out a 22-20 win at MetLife Stadium.
Both starting quarterbacks played in that game. New England’s Mac Jones, then a rookie, was 10-for-14 for 156 yards with a touchdown. Daniel Jones was was 17-for-22 for 135 yards, a TD and a pick for the G-Men. The home team has won five of the last six preseason meetings and the total is an even 4-4 in the last eight. Bill Belichick is 49-36 straight up in preseason games with the Patriots, while this will the head coaching debut for the Giants’ Brian Daboll – the former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator.
It sounds like Daboll is going to play his starters more than usual this preseason because they are working out a new offensive system. Top running back Saquon Barkley has played one preseason game in his four-year career and Jones played one game last season. Veteran Tyrod Taylor is Jones’ backup with Davis Webb third string. We will probably see the No. 5 overall pick out of Oregon, Kayvon Thibodeaux. He’s a top-notch pass rusher who is among the favorites for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Unfortunately, we won’t see fifth-round offensive lineman Marcus McKethan, who was lost a season-ending injury last week. The Giants are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 preseason games.
Bill Belichick lost long-time offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to the Raiders this offseason, so former Lions head coach Matt Patricia is expected to serve as the primary offensive play-caller. Patricia served as New England’s defensive coordinator for several years. Veteran Brian Hoyer is Jones’ primary backup and rookie fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe currently the No. 3 in the QB depth chart. Belichick hired former Giants head coach Joe Judge as an offensive assistant in February. Jones will have a new weapon in DeVante Parker, who comes over from the Miami Dolphins. Rookie running backs Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris plus second-round wideout Tyquan Thornton will see some action.
The Giants might play their starters more, but they are working on a new system that might take a game or two to perfect. Belichick doesn’t care about winning preseason games, but he still owns a pretty decent record. Five of the last six preseason games between these teams have been won by the home team.
Pick: Patriots +2
