LAS VEGAS — Poor Gotham. It has only been one week, but the two New York teams — who don’t even play in the Empire State — both lost. Those cheers must emanate from the rest of the country.
The Jets, who haven’t had a winning season since 2015, are on track to yield 500 points to foes for the second time in five years, and that’s with sterling cornerback Sauce Gardner.
The Giants, however, are in worse shape, having gone 9-26 since 2023. They couldn’t even get out of Week 1 without cameras already catching a player griping on the sideline.
Wide receiver Malik Nabers didn’t just blast a teammate or his position coach, either. He exchanged heat with head coach Brian Daboll. Later, Nabers appeared to decline his end of a high-five attempt, in a team huddle, by Daboll.
Nabers attributed the eruption to “competitive frustration,” that he had attempted to correct a bad vibe.
Epic fail from someone who was targeted a team-high 12 times, nabbing only five passes for 71 yards.
In the Giants’ pathetic 21-6 road loss to Washington, they mustered a mere 252 yards of offense, giving up 453 to quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Commanders.
Only the Ravens, who watched the Bills zap them for 497 yards in that incredible Sunday-night comeback, were more of an opening-weekend sieve.
Daboll called the root of the exchange a failure of the offense to live up to certain standards.
Standards? Last year, the Giants were 30th, among 32 teams, with an average of 294.8 yards. In ’23, their 280 average was 29th.
In 2022, Daboll’s first as the team’s boss, it went 9-7-1, beating the Vikings in the playoffs before losing in Philadelphia 38-7. With 333 average yards on offense, New York ranked 19th that season.
Steadily and surely, the Giants’ offense has slipped each year of Daboll’s tenure to what is now the basement of the NFL, although quarterback Russell Wilson’s 168 yards merely put him in the bottom third of the league.
The Giants felt the need to announce that Wilson will again start in the pocket this week. Will that be a weekly reveal? It has been quite a fall for the guy who once proclaimed himself to be Mr. Unlimited.
Jameis Winston and rookie Jaxson Dart are the team’s reserve quarterbacks.
The Giants have the worst points-per-play (PPP) efficiency rating (0.097) in the league. Maybe more than wagering on good teams, we favor betting against squads that stink.
And we envision the Giants beating the Jets, Saints, Titans and Dolphins for the fewest NFL victories.
(Know that most often I pick slim favorites on the moneyline, and I will tease seven points. NFL spreads are so razor-sharp, I seek all the help I can get. My simple goal is to exchange a slip of paper for cash, which teasing helps immensely.)
This week, the Giants travel to Dallas, where New York has dropped eight consecutive games (by an average of 14 points) and 11 of the last 12.
Without defensive spark Micah Parsons, whom they dealt to Green Bay, the Cowboys still acquitted themselves well in Philadelphia and nearly pulled off the upset.
The Dak Prescott-to-CeeDee Lamb connection always demands attention, and running backs Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders fared well last week, combining for 107 yards.
Controversial Cowboys owner Jerry Jones thirsts for a victory, so the Giants’ visit to Big D will no doubt be welcomed warmly.
BEST BET
GIANTS at COWBOYS
Time: Noon Sunday.
Line: Cowboys by 5½. Total: 44½.
Records (overall/ATS): Giants 0-1/0-1; Cowboys 0-1/1-0.
Pick: Cowboys 27, Giants 10.
Play: Dallas -5½.
TOP PLAYS
PATRIOTS at DOLPHINS
Time: Noon Sunday.
Line: Dolphins by 1½. Total: 43½.
Records (overall/ATS): Pats 0-1/0-1; Dolphins 0-1/0-1.
Outlook: A veteran pigskin critic called the Fins’ designs and schemes the worst of the first weekend. Their points-per-play margin is a league-worst -0.298. Boss Mike McDaniel went into the season as the coach most likely to be sacked first, at -150 odds, according to Covers.com. Pats rookie outside backer Harold Landry leads the NFL with 2½ sacks.
Pick: Patriots 24, Dolphins 11.
Play: New England +1½.
EAGLES at CHIEFS
Time: 3:25 p.m. Sunday, Fox 32.
Line: Eagles by 1½.Total: 46½.
Records (overall/ATS): Eagles 1-0/0-1; Chiefs 0-1/0-1.
Outlook: A Super Bowl replay, just seven months after the big game in New Orleans. A tie would be magnificent; odds on that must be like mistaking Jason for Travis Kelce. (Apologies, Mama Kelce.) K.C. has dropped its last two, in the Big Easy and Brazil. Does the slide continue? Not at Arrowhead.
Pick: Chiefs 26, Eagles 17.
Play: Kansas City +1½.
CHARGERS at RAIDERS
Time: 9 p.m. Monday, ABC 7, ESPN.
Line: Chargers by 3½.Total: 46½.
Records (overall/ATS): Chargers 1-0/1-0; Raiders 1-0/1-0.
Outlook: The Raiders travel to the other coast, where 34-year-old QB Geno Smith throws for 362 yards, a TD and one interception. With the other field general being Justin Herbert, this has the ingredients for the week’s most explosive tilt. The last five between these two in Vegas have averaged 62 total points.
Pick: Chargers 31, Raiders 27.
Play: Over 46½.
THE REST OF THE SLATE
BEARS at LIONS
Time: Noon Sunday, Fox 32.
Line: Lions by 5½. Total: 47½.
Records (overall/ATS):
Bears 0-1/0-1; Lions 0-1/0-1.
Outlook: The Bears are an NFL-worst 3-16 in their division, says TeamRankings.com, followed by the Giants (4-15-1) and Cardinals (4-14). Can Ben Johnson, in just his second game as Bears boss, upstage ex-boss Dan Campbell? No. As we’ve stated, we’ll tap the Bears only when they show they deserve it. This isn’t that time.
Pick: Lions 23, Bears 13.
Play: Detroit -5½.
JAGUARS at BENGALS
Time: Noon Sunday.
Line: Bengals by 3½. Total: 48½.
Records (overall/ATS):
Jaguars 1-0/1-0; Bengals 1-0/0-1.
Outlook: Jacksonville is fourth in points-per-play (PPP) margin, a metric we prize, at 0.249. But that was against Carolina. The history of the Jags is of disappointment; once fans gain an ounce of belief, danger time. They’re 1-4 in their last five in Cincinnati, and QB Joe Burrow is 2-0 lifetime against the Jags.
Pick: Bengals 28, Jaguars 17.
Play: Cincinnati -3½.
RAMS at TITANS
Time: Noon Sunday.
Line: Rams by 5½. Total: 41½.
Records (overall/ATS):
Rams 1-0/1-0; Titans 0-1/0-1.
Outlook: Titans coach Brian Callahan is 3-15 as an NFL coach. Rookie QB Cam Ward went 12-for-28 for 112 yards (no TDs or picks), and he was sacked six times in Denver, fumbling once. Playing against a mess like Tennessee should help Rams QB Matthew Stafford, but he is 0-4 lifetime against that franchise.
Pick: Rams 19, Titans 16.
Play: Tennessee +5½.
SEAHAWKS at STEELERS
Time: Noon Sunday.
Line: Steelers by 3. Total: 40½.
Records (overall/ATS):
Seahawks 0-1/0-1; Steelers 1-0/0-1.
Outlook: The Seahawks have a poor history in the Steel City, having dropped four of their last five (which includes two shutouts) and six of their last eight games. Who leads the NFL in TD passes? Aaron Rodgers, with four. He’d better get a couple more here because the next five get much more difficult.
Pick: Steelers 17, Seahawks 6.
Play: Pittsburgh -3.
BILLS at JETS
Time: Noon Sunday.
Line: Bills by 7. Total: 46½.
Records (overall/ATS):
Bills 1-0/0-0-1; Jets 0-1/1-0.
Outlook: What does Bills QB Josh Allen concoct for an encore to Sunday night, when he threw for a Week 1-high 394 yards? The Jets allowed 218 passing yards, in the NFL’s bottom third, to Aaron Rodgers in the opener, but we expect Allen to avoid stellar CB Sauce Gardner and have another 300-plus-yard game.
Pick: Bills 31, Jets 6.
Play: Buffalo -7.
49ERS at SAINTS
Time: Noon Sunday.
Line: 49ers by 4½. Total: 42½.
Records (overall/ATS):
Niners 1-0/1-0; Saints 0-1/0-1.
Outlook: TeamRankings.com power-rates the Saints at a miserable -8.2, in the NFL’s basement. Their 0.188 PPP rating is among the worst in the NFL, which we expected. The Niners will not have TE George Kittle, have a new kicker and might not have QB Brock Purdy.
Pick: 49ers 16, Saints 6.
Play: Under 42½.
BROWNS at RAVENS
Time: Noon Sunday.
Line: Ravens by 12½. Total: 45½.
Records (overall/ATS):
Browns 0-1/1-0; Ravens 0-1/0-0-1.
Outlook: Baltimore hosts the Lions next week on “Monday Night Football,” but they’d best not overlook the Browns, who gave up only 141 yards to the Bengals (second-lowest to the 133 that Denver allowed against the Titans). Ravens RB Derrick Henry had 169 yards in the opener; Cleveland, however, is tops in the league, allowing just two yards per run.
Pick: Ravens 24, Browns 17.
Play: Cleveland +12½.
PANTHERS at CARDINALS
Time: 3:05 p.m. Sunday.
Line: Cardinals by 6½. Total: 44½.
Records (overall/ATS):
Panthers 0-1/0-1; Cardinals 1-0/1-0.
Outlook: The visitors own a PPP margin of -0.249, fourth-worst in the NFL, while Arizona (0.139) is above water in that prized category thanks to a fortunate schedule. The Panthers’ defense is in the bottom quarter of the league, so for a second consecutive weekend Cards QB Kyler Murray gets to play a lesser foe.
Pick: Cardinals 16, Panthers 13.
Play: Under 44½.
BRONCOS at COLTS
Time: 3:05 p.m. Sunday, CBS 2.
Line: Broncos by 2½. Total: 42½.
Records (overall/ATS):
Broncos 1-0/1-0; Colts 1-0/1-0.
Outlook: Denver flexed its secondary muscles against Tennessee, allowing Titans QB Cam Ward only 2.2 yards per throw. That is a stupendous figure; Colts QB Daniel Jones won’t come close to the 9.4 he averaged against bottom-feeder Miami. Denver RBs JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey set the tone on the ground.
Pick: Broncos 27, Colts 13.
Play: Denver -2½.
FALCONS at VIKINGS
Time: 7:20 p.m. Sunday, NBC 5.
Line: Vikings by 3½. Total: 44½.
Records (overall/ATS):
Falcons 0-1/0-1; Vikings 1-0/1-0.
Outlook: QB J.J. McCarthy, who won titles in high school and college, waited until the fourth quarter at Soldier Field to display that sterling pedigree. The Vikes own a sixth-ranked PPP margin of 0.170, so the attack is legit. Atlanta, however, kept Baker Mayfield to a 53% completion rate last week. Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. keeps this close.
Pick: Vikings 24, Falcons 21.
Play: Atlanta +3½.
BUCCANEERS at TEXANS
Time: 6 p.m. Monday, ABC 7, ESPN.
Line: Texans by 2½. Total: 46½.
Records (overall/ATS):
Bucs 1-0/1-0; Texans 0-1/0-1.
Outlook: Tampa Bay features a top-third offense, while disappointing Houston is in the bottom third. Specifically, we see QB Baker Mayfield exploiting a Texans secondary that yields a bottom-quarter 7.7 yards a pass and is flimsy on third down. Bucs CB Jamel Dean (three pass deflections) will pester Houston QB CJ Stroud.
Pick: Bucs 27, Texans 16.
Play: Tampa Bay +2½.