San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Giants Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

The San Francisco 49ers will try to avoid their fourth consecutive loss when they visit the New York Giants in the Week 5 Sunday night game. The 49ers have gone 0-3 straight up and against the spread since earning a 20-3 victory against the Minnesota Vikings as three-point home underdogs in the season opener.

Point spread: The Giants opened as seven-point favorites; the total was 43 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 26.7-17.0 Giants

Why the 49ers can cover the spread

San Francisco kicked off the year with a great performance, both offensively and defensively. That game was in prime time like this one, so maybe quarterback Colin Kaepernick and running back Carlos Hyde can rise to the occasion again and perform like they did in that season-opening win versus the Vikings.

While Kaepernick has taken a lot of criticism for the team’s poor play, Hyde totaled more yards against Minnesota than he has in the past three games combined. He is a much better player than that.

The defense did a solid job last Sunday despite the 17-3 home loss to the Green Bay Packers, and Eli Manning and the Giants are definitely a step down offensively from Aaron Rodgers and his offensive arsenal. The 49ers hung around in that game and just need to find more ways to reach the end zone rather than settle for field goals.

Why the Giants can cover the spread

New York head coach Tom Coughlin has his team playing Giants football again, which involves good defense and efficient offense. Manning has done a great job playing under control in helping lead the Giants to two straight wins, and he only has one interception this season, which happened in last week’s 24-10 road win against the Buffalo Bills.

Defensively, New York contained Buffalo quarterback Tyrod Taylor for three quarters and should be able to do the same thing with Kaepernick, who has been prone to mistakes with five picks in the past two games. San Francisco is just 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games, and Kaepernick’s erratic play has a lot to do with that.

Smart pick

The 49ers were able to beat the Giants last year on the road 16-10 in a defensive battle, and they will likely try to make this a similar type of game.

New York’s running game has left a lot to be desired so far this season, which means Manning must continue playing error-free football for the team to keep winning. He is due for a clunker, while Kaepernick can’t play any worse than he has the last two games. Look for San Francisco to rebound and at least stay within a touchdown here to cover the spread.

Betting trends

The total has gone under in the 49ers’ last seven games against the NFC East.

The 49ers are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games.

The Giants are 1-4 SU and ATS in their last five games against the NFC West.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, and all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.