Dominic Fazzini
Sunday's plays
30 Dime -- GIANTS (minus points vs. Cardinals)
10 Dime -- Colts (minus points vs. RAMS)
GIANTS
Let me start by saying this: The Cardinals suck playing in the Meadowlands.
Arizona has played at Giants Stadium against both the Giants and Jets 17 times since moving to Phoenix in 1988, and it has won there just twice, and the last time was in 1999.
The Cardinals' running game is horrendous, averaging just 57.6 yards per game, and that doesn't bode well for the health of quarterback Kurt Warner.
The Giants were unable to sack Saints quarterback Drew Brees last week in New Orleans' 48-27 victory last week after getting 15 in starting 5-0. But with Arizona's inability to balance things out on offense, New York is going to pin its ears back in an effort to keep constant pressure on Warner, who has a propensity to fumble the ball on occasion when harrassed.
The Giants' running game, which ranks fifth in the league with 147.7 yards per game, should help keep Arizona's offense off the field, and New York QB Eli Manning should be able to move the ball against the Cards' pass defense. The Giants average nearly 30 points per game, and they might surpass that total tonight.
Arizona went 0-5 on the East Coast last year during the regular season, and the Giants are going to be determined to bounce back with a big victory after getting embarassed by the Saints last week. Take New York to win by double digits tonight.
COLTS
The Rams might be the worst team in football, and now they get to play an undefeated Colts team that is coming off a bye week. That's not a good situation for St. Louis to be in today.
Peyton Manning is having perhaps the best season of his career, as hard as that is to believe, completing 73.5 percent of his passes for 1,645 yards and 12 touchdowns with just four interceptions.
And now he gets to tee off against a St. Louis defense that is allowing 252 yards through the air per game, ranking 27th in the NFL.
The Rams are averaging a league-worst nine points per game, and although they should be slightly better with Marc Bulger back at quarterback, they have nowhere near the firepower to stay close to Indianapolis.
To make things even worse for St. Louis, Colts safety Bob Sanders might return to the lineup today, and cornerback Kelvin Hayden should be back after missing three games with a hamstring injury.
The Rams have lost 16 straight games, and they could get demoralized early facing the quick-strike attack of Manning and Co. And Indianapolis is 4-0 straight up and ATS after a bye.
The Colts also are 4-0 ATS overall, 4-0 against losing teams, 6-1-1 on the road, 9-2 in October and 12-4 on the road vs. NFC opponents. St. Louis, meanwhile, is 8-17 ATS overall, 3-9 at home and 3-12 as a home underdog. Take Indianapolis to win by more than 20 points today.
hno:
