By, Brent Booher
The 1-5 New York Football Giants travel to the ‘City of Brotherly Love’ to meet Carson Wentz and the 1-4-1 Philadelphia Eagles in a clash of NFC East heavyweights featherweights that could very well determine who rests at the top of the division after the weekend.
Yes, that’s right, the Giants could theoretically win Thursday evening, improve their record to 2-5, and move into first place in the division!
So while the Giants and Eagles isn’t the matchup we deserve, it’s the matchup we get this Thursday night. Might as well make the most out of this slop fest right?
That’s what gambling is for, and these are the bets I have circled as my Best Bets for tonight’s game.
First Touchdown Scorer: Travis Fulgham (+1050)
Much has been said about the lack of weapons that the Giants have on offense, but the Eagles have arguably more losses on offense than their opponents do tonight. Philadelphia will be without Miles Sanders and Zach Ertz tonight, and while they do get DeSean Jackson back, this is still an offense that does not have a lot of firepower.
The one constant in the Philly attack has been the emergence of former Old Dominion wide receiver Travis Fulgham, who has accounted for 18 receptions, 284 yards, and three touchdowns since making his first start three weeks ago. He’s also been targeted 26 times and has found the end zone in every game this season.
First touchdown scoring props are always tricky, but I love the value on Fulgham tonight and will be sprinkling a small wager accordingly.
Travis Fulgham to Score 2+ Touchdowns (+1000)
Maybe this is overkill on the Travis Fulgham hype train, but the man seems like he’s already a favorite target of Carson Wentz, and this is a game where the Eagles will likely struggle to move the ball for long periods.
Without Miles Sanders in the lineup, the Eagles running attack takes a sizable hit, and while Boston Scott could very well still find the end zone on more than one occasion, once again we have tremendous value from the clear #1 receiver in this matchup.
In terms of a ‘Best Bet’ as far as likeliness to be correct, this wouldn’t make my list, but in terms of a ‘Best Bet’ with a great deal of value, and well, I love Travis Fulgham to potentially have a shot at that type of game.
Daniel Jones OVER 26.5 Rushing Yards (-136)
When Saquon Barkley was lost in Week 2 with a torn ACL, the Giants rushing game effectively was lost with it. The Giants did sign former Falcon rusher Devonta Freeman to try to give New York a spark on offense, but through the first six weeks of the season, the leading rusher in New York is none other than Daniel Jones.
While Daniel Jones will not be confused for Lamar Jackson any time soon, he’s still mobile enough to escape the pocket and occasionally punish a defense. Danny Dimes has averaged over 40 yards rushing per game since Barkley went down, and Jason Garrett is actually dialing up plays to specifically put Jones in a position to run.
A week ago, Jones scampered down the left sideline for 49 yards, if he’s able to escape a blitz tonight and get into the open field, he could very easily come close to covering this prop in one fell swoop.
I love Jones to continue his moderate success running with the football, and have tabled this as one of the Best Bets of the weekend.
DeSean Jackson OVER 34.5 Receiving Yards (-134)
Like for most of the planet, 2020 has been a pretty crappy year for DeSean Jackson. When DeSean hasn’t been getting himself into boiling hot water with hastily shared memes on Instagram, he’s spent most of the season on the shelf nursing a hamstring injury.
DeSean Jackson happens to return to the lineup tonight, and it couldn’t come at a better time for an Eagles offense that will be without Miles Sanders, Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, and Alshon Jeffery.
When Jackson has played this season, he has topped the 34.5 receiving yard number in each full game (46 yards in Week 1, and 64 yards in Week 2) and has been targeted roughly eight times per game.
Considering how many weapons are on the shelf for the Eagles tonight, I absolutely love this prop and think Jackson may very well eclipse this number early in the night, giving you a winner you won’t have to sweat too much.
