Jesus did I ever just get an earful. I sent a text letting my “editor” know the game I was writing up and the side I was playing. About 15 seconds later my phone rings and its said editor.
The first word I hear is four letters, starts with F and rhymes with duck. And that was the high point.
Mr. Editor’s reaction on our call after I told him I was playing a road fav this week
I let him calm down, made my case for the pick and waited to hear a rational voice respond with an apology for the overreaction.
Ummm, not so much.
The call ended with a final statement of “write up whatever pick number two was and get that posted. I don’t want to see this one up on the site”.
New York Giants vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pick
Odds: New York Giants -2.5
Over/Under: 47.5
(Get a free bet at Bovada today)
What caused that stream of vitriol is the pick above. The mighty New York Giants.
It started with a simple text saying, “writing up the Giants v Bucs game, playing the Giants -2.5”
Queue the volcano.
The fact I circled a road favorite as a play was bad enough. Add in it was a road favorite from the NFC East, a road favorite from the New York city area, a road favorite backed by Eli Manning…well, match meet gasoline.
The editor comes from the old Winner’s Edge/Everyedge newsmagazine days, where picking road favorites were verboten. I get it and rarely play road favorites. But sometimes, just sometimes, after breaking the games down, a road favorite comes out as a “play on”.
I’ll usually put it aside even then, but this week there really wasn’t another play that reached the criteria to make it a go. Last week the process highlighted the Broncos as a “play on” team and they were a small home dog. Mr. Editor loved that one. For him, home dogs – good. road favs – bad. I get it.
But I still like this Giants play laying under a FG in Tampa.
The Bucs are coming off a huge upset win. The Giants were clipped by the Saints in an absolutely wild ride.
The thing is, New York can score. Not just based on last week. But the Giants can put up some points. I don’t see the Bucs keeping up. And once they start having to chase points, that’s not going to be good. The New York defense doesn’t have an intimidating bone in their body, but they are facing a rookie QB and undrafted free agents sprinkled all over. Yes, they have Mike Evans and a bit of a running game. But if they get down by 10 or so, the advantage meter swings to the D, even a D as bad as the G-Men rollout.
They’ll try to lean on Doug Martin, but if NY can score, that neutralizes that.
Tampa Bay rarely win at home. We’re talking one home win the last couple of years and that was vs. the Jags. I hesitate to even count it. They rarely win two in a row (that feat last happened back in November 2013).
New York Giants vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pick
There is reason for optimism for the Buc’s organization and their fans. They’re playing tough and the offense has some life. But in a game where I think they’re going to be asked to play some catch up, this is tough.
I’ll risk the wrath of Mr. Editor and play the Giants -2.5
Jump into the Everyedge Sports Betting Forum to check out more talk and picks from the Monday nighter.