NFL Picks: Washington Redskins backup QB Kirk Cousins is turning accident into design as he is outperforming the injured Robert Griffin III, which means first year head coach Jay Gruden may be dealing with a quarterback controversy for the foreseeable future on his improved team. The New York Giants may have gotten a win last week but nobody is convinced that better days are ahead as they continue to have the look of a team that is past its prime.
The Washington Redskins will host the New York Giants on Thursday night at FedEx Field with coverage on CBS starting at 8:25 PM ET. BetDSI has Washington as a three-point favorite with a total of 45.
A Giant Mess
The injury ravaged Giants surprised many with their 30-17 home win over Houston last week but remain a team that has the look of a loser. The Giants rank 26th in the NFL for total offense, 25th for scoring offense, 23rd for total defense, and 25th for scoring defense. The inconsistent play of QB Eli Manning has carried over to the new season as he has a mediocre 84.3 QB rating with a 5-4 TD-INT ratio. Keep in mind that Manning has a 40-70 TD-INT ratio since the 2012 season and there are no indications that he is “fixed.” The Giants lack of a breakaway receiver is not helping either. New York is 1-2 straight up, 1-2 against the spread, and 2-1 over the total.
Kissin’ Cousins
The Redskins are coming off a 34-37 loss at Philadelphia to now stand at 1-2 SU, 2-1 ATS, and 2-1 over the total. Cousins has a 105.8 QB rating with a 5-1 TD-INT ratio. Griffin remains out indefinitely with an ankle injury. Washington has shown solid improvement so far as they rank second in the NFL for total offense and fourth for total defense.
Matchup and Pick
The Giants have failed to cover the spread in nine out of their last 13 away games with 14 out of their last 19 away games going under the total. Washington has paid out in eight out of their last 14 home games with four out of their last seven home games going over the total. The Redskins have paid out in five out of their last seven games with the Giants as 11 out of the last 14 meetings between Big Blue and the Burgundy and Gold have gone under the total. We’ll call for the Giants (+3) and under the total of 45 based on their head-to-head record.
