PREMIUM
Rogers' Wild Card Coach's Clinic >> Won Top Week 17 Side & Total!
(NFL) NY Giants vs. Green Bay,
Point Spread: -5.00 | -101.00 Green Bay (Home)
Result: Win
Point Spread: -5.00 | -101.00 Green Bay (Home)
Result: Win
The set-up: Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers proved to be a man of his word when he told reporters that the Green Bay Packers were capable of running the table to secure a playoff bid. Six consecutive wins later and the 10-6 Packers will host the 11-5 NY Giants Sunday from Lambeau in the "late game." It marks Green Bay's eighth straight postseason appearance. As for the Giants, after four consecutive non-playoff seasons (including three straight losing years), the Giants earned the NFC's top wild card seed under first-year head coach, Ben McAdoo. The teams met back in Week 5 at Lambeau, with the Packers winning 23-16.
NY Giants: That Week 5 loss at Green Bay was New York's third in a row (after a 2-0 start) but the Giants then went on a six-game winning streak of their own to reach 8-3. They finished 11-5 and own the distinction of beating the Cowboys in both 2016 meetings, Dallas' only "real" losses this year, as long as one doesn't count that Week 17 "half-effort" against the Eagles. Eli Manning didn't have a great season, as although he completed a career-high 63.0 percent of his passes, only three QBs eclipsed his 16 interceptions (he had 26 TD passes and an 86.0 QB rating). He's got the flashy Odell Beckham Jr. (101 receptions for 1,367 yards & TDs) and rookie Shepard (65 catches & 8 TDs) to throw to plus Victor Cruz came back after missing all of 2015 with an injury (after playing in just six games in 2014), to play in 15 games and make 39 catches. The negative is a running game that ranks 29th at 88.2 YPG on 3.5 YPC. The "star" of New York's season has been its defense, which went from allowing a league-high 420.3 YPG in 2015 to allowing just 339.7 YPG in 2016, to rank 10th. In the all-important points allowed category, the Giants went from giving up 27.6 PPG last season to 17.8 PPG in 2016, to rank 2nd!
Green Bay: Rodgers finished the regular season with an NFL-high 40 TD passes and just seven INTs (QB rating of 104.2). All this came after he struggled down the stretch last season and in the early going of 2016. He threw 15 TD passes during the Packers' winning streak and recorded his second straight four-TD performance in last Sunday's 31-24 victory over Detroit, securing the NFC North title for his team and conference Player of the Month honors for himself. Green Bay's running game is only slightly better than NY's, averaging 106.3 YPG (20th) but the Packers have averaged 4.5 YPC (not bad). Rodgers got a healthy Jordy Nelson back this year and he led the NFL with 14 TDs among his 97 receptions. Adams added 75 catches and 12 TDs, with Cobb catching 60 balls with four TDs. Defensively, the Packers don't stack up against the Giants, allowing 24.2 PPG (21st) and Green Bay's pass D ranked 31st in yards allowed (269.2 YPG), giving up 32 TDs!
The pick: Eli Manning has won eight of his last nine playoff starts but New York is making its first postseason appearance since it posted an upset victory over the Packers in the divisional round of the 2011-12 playoffs right here at Lambeau (Giants would go on the win the Super Bowl). Which Eli will show up on Sunday? Will it be the one who piled up 15 TDs against two INTs in leading the Giants to Super Bowl titles in 2007 and 2011? Or will it be the one who threw two TDs against six INTs in one-and-done playoff seasons of 2005, 2006 and 2008? As for Rodgers, he's at the top of his game. The Giants' strength is their defense, especially a secondary featuring Pro-Bowl defensive backs Janoris Jenkins and Landon Collins. (New York surrendered a league-low 15 TD passes TY). However, the Packers put up 38 points each on the elite defenses of the Vikings and Seahawks at home during the past four games. If Davante Adams hadn't dropped a pair of TD passes against the Bears, Rodgers would have multiple TD throws in each of his last 11 games. Green Bay hasn't turned the ball over in any of its last four games while Eli owns 20 giveaways (16 INTs / 4 fumbles), all by himself. Going into the last week of the regular season, only the 49ers and Rams had punted more than the Giants and looking closer, the Giants are just 2-8-2 ATS the past 12 times playing on the road against an opponent with a winning home mark. Make the Packers an 8* play.
NY Giants: That Week 5 loss at Green Bay was New York's third in a row (after a 2-0 start) but the Giants then went on a six-game winning streak of their own to reach 8-3. They finished 11-5 and own the distinction of beating the Cowboys in both 2016 meetings, Dallas' only "real" losses this year, as long as one doesn't count that Week 17 "half-effort" against the Eagles. Eli Manning didn't have a great season, as although he completed a career-high 63.0 percent of his passes, only three QBs eclipsed his 16 interceptions (he had 26 TD passes and an 86.0 QB rating). He's got the flashy Odell Beckham Jr. (101 receptions for 1,367 yards & TDs) and rookie Shepard (65 catches & 8 TDs) to throw to plus Victor Cruz came back after missing all of 2015 with an injury (after playing in just six games in 2014), to play in 15 games and make 39 catches. The negative is a running game that ranks 29th at 88.2 YPG on 3.5 YPC. The "star" of New York's season has been its defense, which went from allowing a league-high 420.3 YPG in 2015 to allowing just 339.7 YPG in 2016, to rank 10th. In the all-important points allowed category, the Giants went from giving up 27.6 PPG last season to 17.8 PPG in 2016, to rank 2nd!
Green Bay: Rodgers finished the regular season with an NFL-high 40 TD passes and just seven INTs (QB rating of 104.2). All this came after he struggled down the stretch last season and in the early going of 2016. He threw 15 TD passes during the Packers' winning streak and recorded his second straight four-TD performance in last Sunday's 31-24 victory over Detroit, securing the NFC North title for his team and conference Player of the Month honors for himself. Green Bay's running game is only slightly better than NY's, averaging 106.3 YPG (20th) but the Packers have averaged 4.5 YPC (not bad). Rodgers got a healthy Jordy Nelson back this year and he led the NFL with 14 TDs among his 97 receptions. Adams added 75 catches and 12 TDs, with Cobb catching 60 balls with four TDs. Defensively, the Packers don't stack up against the Giants, allowing 24.2 PPG (21st) and Green Bay's pass D ranked 31st in yards allowed (269.2 YPG), giving up 32 TDs!
The pick: Eli Manning has won eight of his last nine playoff starts but New York is making its first postseason appearance since it posted an upset victory over the Packers in the divisional round of the 2011-12 playoffs right here at Lambeau (Giants would go on the win the Super Bowl). Which Eli will show up on Sunday? Will it be the one who piled up 15 TDs against two INTs in leading the Giants to Super Bowl titles in 2007 and 2011? Or will it be the one who threw two TDs against six INTs in one-and-done playoff seasons of 2005, 2006 and 2008? As for Rodgers, he's at the top of his game. The Giants' strength is their defense, especially a secondary featuring Pro-Bowl defensive backs Janoris Jenkins and Landon Collins. (New York surrendered a league-low 15 TD passes TY). However, the Packers put up 38 points each on the elite defenses of the Vikings and Seahawks at home during the past four games. If Davante Adams hadn't dropped a pair of TD passes against the Bears, Rodgers would have multiple TD throws in each of his last 11 games. Green Bay hasn't turned the ball over in any of its last four games while Eli owns 20 giveaways (16 INTs / 4 fumbles), all by himself. Going into the last week of the regular season, only the 49ers and Rams had punted more than the Giants and looking closer, the Giants are just 2-8-2 ATS the past 12 times playing on the road against an opponent with a winning home mark. Make the Packers an 8* play.
