New York Giants vs. New Orleans Saints Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

The New York Giants (4-3) and New Orleans Saints (3-4) will look to continue their momentum from wins last week when they square off on Sunday at the Superdome.

The Saints bring a two-game winning streak into this NFC matchup both straight up and against the spread after starting the season 0-3, while the Giants lead the NFC East following a 27-20 victory as three-point home favorites against the Dallas Cowboys.

Point spread: The Saints opened as three-point favorites; the total was 49 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 27.2-21.7 Saints

Why the Giants can cover the spread

New York got back on track by beating the Cowboys after losing badly to the Philadelphia Eagles 27-7 the previous week. While the Giants will still occasionally play a clunker, they have won four of five following an 0-2 start to put themselves atop the division.

The passing game remains the team’s strength offensively, and that should be an advantage for quarterback Eli Manning and his receivers going up against a New Orleans secondary that has really struggled at times. Just last week, the Saints nearly blew a 20-0 lead and allowed Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck to pick them apart in the second half.

New York has better receivers than the Colts, and Manning will also be playing in his hometown for the third time. The last two meetings there did not go too well, with the Giants losing by an average of 23 points, so he should be extra motivated to make the third time a charm with a victory.

Why the Saints can cover the spread

New Orleans has won three of the last four meetings with New York SU and ATS, with the three wins decided by an average of 23 points, including the last two at the Superdome. The Saints have also covered four of five overall with wins in three of their past four. The biggest difference has been the defense, which has allowed 21 points or less in their wins compared to an average of nearly 31 in their losses.

The offense has also switched gears a bit and relies more on the short passing game with New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees not possessing the same arm strength he once did.

Instead, the Saints have been more patient and taken shots downfield a lot less often, realizing a balanced offense that still features the running game at times can be extremely effective. Case in point, New Orleans running back Mark Ingram rushed for a season-high 143 yards on just 14 carries in last week’s win at Indianapolis.

Smart pick

This is a much bigger game for the Saints, who have handled the Giants easily in the previous two home meetings. There’s no reason to believe that won’t happen again here, especially since they have gone 32-12 SU in their past 44 games (73 percent) following consecutive wins. Look for New Orleans to win and cover in another easy victory.

Betting trends

The Giants are 9-1 SU and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games in Week 8.

The total has gone over in five of the Giants' last six games on the road against the Saints.

The Saints are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games as favorites.

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.