MNF Pending
1* CLE OV 43.5 110
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Everywhere I look this evening all I see are sharp plays on CLE. The Browns are a huge favorite with the Hilton picks and seem to be an equally huge favorite on the Rx.
Why??
Look, I don't really care who the public is on tonight. I am not saying that I like public plays. In fact, I would much rather be on the opposite side of the public if I can help it, but there are times where logic must prevail over simply avoiding the public play for the sake of avoiding the public play. There are times where the sharpest plays are not necessarily the best plays. And I firmly believe that tonight is one of those times.
NYG's #1 rushing offense (181 ypg) faces CLE's #23 rushing defense (126 ypg) and I expect to see them pound the rock down their throats, slowly wearing them out both physcially and mentally. NYG also brings the #1 scoring offense (31.8 ppg) and the #6 passing offense (250 ypg) to town.
And best of all.....CLE has challenged NYG's manhood and given them some bulletin board material when DT Williams stated that NYG's O-line is "nothing special" and that NYG RB Jacobs loses steam and "tiptoes after you hit him hard." That's crazy talk. Jacobs is a beast and has plenty of backup coming off of the bench to ensure he stays fresh.
On defense NYG has another clear cut advantage. NYG's #6 rushing defense (82 ypg) faces CLE's #25 rushing offense (87 ypg), #1 passing defense (154 ypg) faces the #32 passing offense (124 ypg) and #2 scoring defense (12.2 ppg) faces CLE's #32 scoring offense (11.5 ppg).
CLE's sole win this year came against a woeful CIN team who was starting a backup QB for the first time. And that victory was not even secure until the final whistle blew. And tonight they are missing their #1 third down option (Winslow). They will miss his attitude as well as play making ability.
Emotion has a lot to do with winning in the NFL. And yes, CLE has everything to prove with so many offseason expectations falling by the wayside so early in this season. And yes, all teams seem to get up for MNF games. But NYG is still feeling disrespected like they did last season. They continue to fly under the radar despite winning the Super Bowl and this MNF is their only MNF appearance this season. Look for NYG to withstand any early emotion on the part of CLE and then send a message to the rest of the league about their top-dog status after a weekend that saw WA falter versus STL and DAL falter (and lose Romo) versus ARI.
2* NYG -9 +110