NFL / Andy Richmond / 06 November 2009 / Leave a comment

Nervous times at Giants Stadium where both teams are desperate for a result. Andy Richmond roots through the odds for the best bets

"The stark reality for these two is that they have a miserable record against the better outfits, the Giants have beaten only ONE team with a winning record - Dallas - while San Diego are 0-3 in that category. Scratch the surface of either’s wins and you’ll see that it’s the NFL’s basement teams - Tampa, Kansas City, Oakland and Washington – who account for seven of their nine combined victories."

A loss for either will spell considerable trouble for the rest of the season - we move into the second half of the campaign on Sunday and this game will really put the ailing credentials of two pre-season favourites firmly on the line.

The stark reality for these two is that they have a miserable record against the better outfits, the Giants have beaten only ONE team with a winning record - Dallas - while San Diego are 0-3 in that category. Scratch the surface of either's wins and you'll see that it's the NFL's basement teams - Tampa, Kansas City, Oakland and Washington - who account for seven of their nine combined victories.

The Giants need a big game from some of their big names like QB Eli Manning, RB Brandon Jacobs and MLB Antonio Pierce to halt their three game slump. Coach Tom Coughlin has this week called for all three to step up and show the form that won the Giants the Superbowl two years ago - Manning in particular is under pressure from the New York media, who are never easy to please even at the best of times.

But the Chargers are also perilously close to being one loss away from emergency status. Given Denver's strong start to the season, San Diego simply cannot afford to fall further behind.

A game of contrast will ensue here - the Chargers will look to exploit a shaky Giants secondary on the back of QB Philip Rivers powerful arm and hurt them deep. The Giants must get back to controlling the football like they used to on the ground - Brandon Jacobs will be key to that strategy and he needs to continue his form of the last three weeks - he is averaging 4.9 yards per carry over that span and has added five catches for 34 yards. He would be worth siding with in the various player markets.

This is a must win game for both teams. Three consecutive losses have the Giants reeling but the Chargers have a long trip against a desperate team. That's tough going, and Philip Rivers will be key. Even so, the Giants find a way in battle between two underachieving teams.

Recommendation: Nerves play a part - back 1pt under 47.5 match points at [2.0] or better

Tags: NY Giants, San Diego Chargers