NFL: Browns at Giants
Posted on August 13, 2008 | 10:11 AM ET Filed under:The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants take on one of the AFC’s rising powers in the Cleveland Browns in the second exhibition game of the 2008 season for both teams on Monday night in New Jersey.
ESPN will provide the live television coverage of this Monday Night Football game, beginning at 8 pm Eastern.
OddsMaker.com is listing the Giants as three-point home favorites, with a total of 35 ½.
Cleveland is trying to follow up a surprising 2007 season that saw them just miss the playoffs at 10-6 in their third year under coach Romeo Crennel. QB Derek Anderson emerged as a quality NFL QB, throwing for 3,800 yards and 29 touchdowns, as the Browns ranked eighth in total offense and tenth in rushing. But Cleveland ranked 30th in total defense and 27th vs. the run. Thus the Browns ranked 20th in the league in total yardage last year at -9 YPG.
Cleveland opened this preseason with a 24-20 loss to the New York Jets last Thursday as 4 1/2-point home favorites. The Browns outrushed the Jets 107-59, racked up 27 first downs compared to 11 for the Jets, and led 20-10 early in the fourth quarter. But the Browns defense gave up a 71-yard TD pass to New York’s third-string QB, and two minutes later the Jets scored on a 62-yard punt return to take the lead.
The late flurry of scoring pushed the game over its total of 35.
Anderson played sparingly, but hit four of five pass attempts for 20 yards and a touchdown. After that, Brady Quinn completed 13-of-17 for 133 yards and an INT, while Ken Dorsey finished up by going 8-of-26 for 139 yards and two INTs.
The Giants opened their title defense with a 13-10 loss at Detroit last Thursday as three-point road underdogs. Eli Manning threw six passes, then watched David Carr and Anthony Wright go a combined 19-of-26 for 220 yards and a TD. But the G-Men lost the time-of-possession battle by a 34-to-26 margin, as Detroit ran the ball 35 times although for only 84 yards, helping the game stay under its total of 32.
New York ranked 16th in total offense last year, and fourth in rushing at 134 YPG. The Giants also ranked seventh in total defense and eighth vs. the run. Add it up, and NY ranked 11th in the league in total yardage last year at +26 YPG.
These two teams last met in the preseason of 2005, when the Browns beat the Giants 17-14 in Cleveland.
In their three preseasons under coach Crennel, the Browns are 8-4 straight up and 9-3 against the spread, with the totals going 4-8.
In their four exhibition seasons under coach Tom Coughlin, the Giants are 9-7 both SU and ATS, with the totals going 7-9.
OddsMaker.com is also listing Cleveland at +150 on its NFL futures betting board to win the AFC North this season, +1,200 to win the AFC, and +2,500 to win Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa in February.
OddsMaker.com also lists the Giants at +300 to win the NFC East this season, +600 to win their second straight conference crown, and +1,500 to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
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