The Detroit Lions welcome in the New York Giants for the first Monday Night Football game of the year, and tonight. The game is scheduled for a 7:10 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently the odds for the game have the Lions favored to pick up the win.
The Giants have really fallen on some tough times. After winning a couple of Super Bowls, the G-Men went just 7-9 and missed the playoffs last year. Eli Manning didn't play well throughout the stretch and they battled injuries all season. But they'll start fresh tonight in Detroit, against a Lions team hungry to forget about the past couple of seasons as well.
Detroit was in the driver's seat last year in the NFC North, but stumbled down the stretch and got coach Jim Schwartz fired. There's no reason the Lions should have missed the playoffs a year ago, but they certainly did.
Now Jim Caldwell is the man in charge. He's a disciplinarian that is looking to change the culture in Detroit and it will be for the better. The Lions have a lot of talent on both sides of the football, but haven't been able to consistently win or stay out of trouble with penalties and lack of production.
The Giants usually play well against teams from the NFC North, covering the number in seven straight games. But this game tonight is huge for the Lions. They rarely get a chance to play on national television, especially Monday Night Football. It's their first MNF game to start a season in 25 seasons.
Matthew Stafford has a wealth of weapons, especially Calvin Johnson. The addition of Golden Tate makes Johnson that much more difficult for defenses this season because Tate can also stretch the field. Stafford will have a lot of options tonight against a Giants defense that needs to step up and play better than they did last year.
Detroit's defense will be the key, however. The Lions front seven is very talented, but doesn't play up to expectations enough. This is a new season, a new coach that expects discipline and work ethic from his players. This is a special game for the Lions tonight. They should play accordingly.
Free Pick: Lions 31, Giants 21
Handicapping Tips: Derivative Betting
Steve Fezzik, from Pregame.com take a look at some handicapping tips pertaining to derivative betting. This includes a free pick from Steve.
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