Who Knew the Giants Were Road Warriors This Season?

It's common sense that every sports pick should come with a warning label.

You know the one:

Past performance don't guarantee future results and all that.

But sometimes, there's just a feeling that matches the stats, even though a key component is missing. This is one of those times.

 

OK, not hitting on 5 is a bridge too far, but how about taking a hard look at the New York Giants this weekend?

Bovada has the line listed at Indianapolis -9½ with the total at 48. The moneyline is set at New York +350 and Indianapolis -500.

Why bet on the New York Giants ...

Well, for starters, no one with a clue has called them the Football Giants ever since the baseball team moved to San Francisco. That includes us, and we're taking a look at their recent arc and liking them in this matchup.

Yes, dudes were shut out, 17-0, last weekend when Tennessee successfully geared up to stop Saquon Barkley and Eli Manning couldn't have played any worse. But prior to that, New York had won four of five.

 

Why bet on Indianapolis ...

The Colts were on the happy end of a shutout, as they blanked Dallas, 23-0, and looked good doing it.

Andrew Luck had a subpar day, being held to less than 200 yards in the air, but Marlon Mack rushed 27 times for a career-high 139 yards and 2 TDs against a stout Cowboys D while the Indianapolis defense stepped up big time.

 

Instant analysis ...

Here's the thing: History shows that since 2011, teams posting a shutout are just 23-18 straight up and 16-24-1 against the spread in their following game.

The Colts are 2-5 ATS over the past seven when favored by 9 or more points at home, while the Giants are 6-1 ATS over their past seven when road dogs of 9 or more.

What's more, that hook looks menacing when added to those trends. This is truly an any given Sunday game.

ATS pick: New York Giants +9½

Result: Indianapolis 28 New York Giants 27 ... Giants cover

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Sportbet Columnist: Josh Bailey

Aspiring to become the Mark Twain of sportswriting, Josh has been labelled as the up-&-coming sportswriter of the year by absolutely nobody and the new heavy hitter in sports handicapping by his mother.