Sunday Night Football betting preview: 49ers at Giants by covers
San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants (-6.5, 43)
The New York Giants answered a pair of disheartening losses to open the season with two convincing victories to move into a three-way tie atop the NFC East. The Giants look to continue their good fortune and hand the struggling San Francisco 49ers their fourth consecutive loss on Sunday night when the teams meet at MetLife Stadium.
Eli Manning has tossed seven touchdown passes in his last three weeks, including three scoring strikes in a 24-10 victory over Buffalo last Sunday. While Manning has won five of his seven career contests with San Francisco, he was intercepted five times in the 49ers' 16-10 victory on Nov. 16. Kaepernick threw a touchdown pass in that game, but has failed to do so for the third time in four contests this season in Sunday's 17-3 setback to Green Bay. "I want a confident man; just full-bore ahead at that position," San Francisco coach Jim Tomsula told reporters of his commitment to Kaepnerick. "I believe it's critical and I believe in Colin Kaepernick."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC.
LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Giants as 7-point home faves but that's been moved to -6.5. The total remains at 43.
INJURY REPORT:
49ers
G Alex Boone (Probable, ankle), T Joe Staley (Probable, leg), TE Vernon Davis (Out, knee), CB Shareece Wright (Questionable, undisclosed), WR Quinton Patton (Questionable, concussion), LB Ahmad Brooks (Out, personal), WR Jerome Simpson (Elig Week 7, suspension), WR Dres Anderson (I-R, knee), G Daniel Kilgore (I-R, ankle), WR DeAndre Smelter (I-R, knee).
Giants
DE George Selvie (Questionable, calf), CB Jayron Hosley (Questionable, concussion), CB Trumaine McBride (Questionable, groin), DT Markus Kuhn (Questionable, knee), TE Jerome Cunningham (Questionable, knee), WR Odell Beckham (Questionable, knee), DE Robert Ayers (Doubtful, hamstring), LB Devon Kennard (Doubtful, hamstring), WR Victor Cruz (Out, calf), DE Jason Pierre-Paul (Out indefinitely, finger), TE Daniel Fells (I-R, ankle), S Nat Berhle (I-R, calf), C Brett Jones (I-R, knee), S Bennett Jackson (I-R, knee), S Mykkele Thompson (I-R, Achilles), T Will Beatty (I-R, pectoral).
WEATHER: Temperatures in the low-60s with wind blowing across the field at four miles per hour.
COVERS POWER RANKINGS: 49ers (+5.0) + Giants (-0.5) + home field (-3.0) = Giants -8.5
WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "Offensive coordinator Geep Chryst has't been an NFL OC since the 2000 season. QB coach Steve Logan has never been an NFL QB coach before. The inexperience shows! The G-men continue to cash winning bets in one role, year after year ? as road underdogs. They're 2-0 ATS as road dogs this year and 59-38 ATS on the road in the Coughlin era."
WHAT BOOKS SAY: "Not as popular of a game as we had hoped thus far but more action will come in as Sunday gets going. We are at 60 percent on the Giants and that should grow as the general betting community has completely lost faith in San Francisco. I anticipate this will get back to the opener of -7." John Lester, BookMaker.eu.
ABOUT THE 49ERS (1-3 SU, 1-3 ATS, 2-2 O/U): Carlos Hyde has been limited to just 114 rushing yards during the team's three-game skid after running for 168 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-3 season-opening victory over Minnesota. Kaepernick's troubles in the last two contests have obviously taken a toll on wideouts Anquan Boldin (five receptions, 28 yards) and Torrey Smith (two catches, 54 yards). Boldin, however, enjoyed a strong performance with five receptions for 53 yards in his last meeting with New York.
ABOUT THE GIANTS (2-2 SU, 3-1 ATS, 2-2 O/U): While Odell Beckham Jr. received plenty of fanfare in the offseason, Rueben Randle has snared a touchdown reception in each of his last two games. Randle also enjoyed a dominant effort in his last meeting with San Francisco, reeling in a team-high seven catches for 112 yards while Beckham added six for 93. Rashad Jennings, who has mustered just 3.2 yards per carry this season, showed he still has plenty left in the tank after he broke three tackles en route to a 51-yard touchdown reception last week versus the Bills.
TRENDS:
* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* 49ers are 2-7 ATS in their last nine meetings.
* 49ers are 1-8-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
* Over is 6-2 in Giants last eight games in Week 5.
COVERS CONSENSUS: Sixty-nine percent of Covers users are backing the Giants.