The New England Patriots and New York Giants met in Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. They’ll reunite in the final game of the 2012 NFL preseason with decidedly less pressure.
New England Patriots @ New York Giants – Wednesday, August 29
Betting line: No line
Why New England Will Win
When football betting gurus analyze this game, they’re going to weigh attitudinal elements more than pure X-and-O considerations, all because a preseason finale lends itself to an atypical game flow in professional football.
The New York Giants have a blue-collar reputation, but is that going to be enough in a game without real meaning against the Patriots, who are probably still mad about and smarting from the Super Bowl? Probably not. New York will not have enough motivation; the Giants already won the game that counted last season, so they’re not going to push too hard in this one. The only x-factor here is the fact that it’s week four and the final preseason game, which is when all the players that might still get cut lay it all on the line to try to secure a roster spot. This can lead to a rare great performance, one that will change the outcome of this tilt. However, great preseason performances are extremely rare, especially in week four; that’s probably not in the cards for Big Blue. The Giants’ roster is pretty solidified at this point, and most of the players who matter won’t be playing past the first quarter. This will give New England an edge.
Why New York Will Win
Despite the bad, hard beds of training camp (as opposed to a cushy five-star hotel the night before regular-season gamedays) and a loss in their first preseason game (to the Jacksonville Jaguars), this Giants team will always play tough. New York will be helped by coaching in this game. Tom Coughlin is not into fancy trick plays, but he is always smart and looking for new ways to win. Is this part of Coughlin going to show up here in a game with most of the key players sitting on the bench? That’s an open question. All of this being said, in the end the Giants do seem to beat New England as a point of pride; that part of their history as an organization is a great tool for motivation. That blue-collar pride is what New York is all about, and it will lead the Giants to victory against the Patriots. The outlets – online sports betting legal entities and others – that are taking action on this game will have to give this point at least some consideration.
Who Will Win
If you look at factors like whose roster needs more work and who has more team pride in an exhibition game, and then consider past wins and losses in this series, it becomes pretty obvious that the Patriots will probably have more energy in the tank (or that the Giants will have less). New England will want to win and should win this matchup.
NFL Football Betting Pick: New England
