NFL Picks Week 6: Buffalo Bills vs. New York Giants, Total Preview

The Buffalo Bills (4-1) and New York Giants (3-2) are set to meet up in Week 6 of the 2011 NFL season and I think we have the perfect situation to make a move on the total.

Sunday's kickoff from MetLife Stadium is schedule for 1:00 p.m. ET and will be televised on CBS.

The betting odds have remained steady with the Giants being listed as three-point home favorites, but the total has moved up to as high as 51 in some spots due to over 70 percent of the public expecting a high-scoring affair.

It's certainly a warranted expectation when looking at the main numbers, with Buffalo averaging 32.8 points per game and New York checking in at 25.4.

I'm a situational handicapper and researched the fact that the Giants have not had a home total at or above 49.5 since at least 1992, which leads me to believe that this will be the first total of its kind in East Rutherford, NJ.

New York quarterback Eli Manning is coming off a three interception performance in a shocking 36-25 loss to the Seattle Seahawks as 10-point home favorites last week. He's likely lost some of his early season confidence and will need to be careful against an opportunistic defense.

I'd be shocked if the team doesn't get back to trying to run the football, even without the services of Brandon Jacobs for a second game, as the identity of this team is to grind it on the ground and then hit the big play down field with play action.

Head coach Tom Coughlin will also focus on recapturing the squad's true identity after getting out-gained on the road in three consecutive games, while also entering Sunday with the league's fifth-worst rushing attack in averaging 83.8 yards per game.

Buffalo would be wise to hit the ground running, keeping New York's ferocious pass-rushing attack on its heels, coming in with the NFL's fourth-best running game. That fits nicely when going against a unit that is allowing an average of 159.3 rushing yards the past three weeks.

In the year of the quarterback, it would be smart for both teams to switch gears and battle in the trenches due to the numbers, which will be fine by me.

Pick: Under 51 points