The New York Giants (1-0) and Los Angeles Rams (0-1) will meet in the Week 2 edition of Monday Night Football on September 21. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The game will broadcast live on ABC and ESPN.
The Rams are 6.5-point favorites over the Giants on the spread (Rams -6.5), with the over/under set at 47.5 total points. Los Angeles is a -290 moneyline favorite to win outright, while New York is listed as a +235 underdog to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Giants vs Rams predictions and Monday Night Football preview.
Giants vs Rams Prediction
- Giants vs Rams pick: Rams -6.5 (-115)
My Giants vs. Rams best bet is Los Angeles to cover the spread (-6.5), with the best price currently available at DraftKings. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
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Giants vs Rams Odds
| Giants Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -105 | 47.5 -110o / -110u | +235 |
| Rams Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -115 | 47.5 -110o / -110u | -290 |
Giants vs Rams Monday Night Football Preview
Giants Betting Preview: Spread Moving Toward New York
This is a difficult game to handicap due to the uncertainty surrounding the status of Puka Nacua. He's one of the best receivers in the league and obviously a complete game-changer. He would impact the spread, total and player props.
We still don't know if Nacua will give it a go, but it was reported he was trending in the wrong direction on Sunday, hence why this spread has moved in the Giants' favor.
It's also worth mentioning that fellow wide receiver Jordan Whittington won't play due to injury, so the Rams would be very thin at the WR position if Nacua can't go.
That's welcome news for the Giants, who have a very suspect cornerback room that is also dealing with a number of injuries. In one of this game's bigger mismatches on paper, New York could catch a huge break with a shorthanded LA wide receiver corps.
Reigning defensive player of the year Myles Garrett also won't play, but Aaron Donald is slated to make his season debut. What will we get from the future hall-of-famer? Tough to say, adding another layer of uncertainty here.
Rams Betting Preview: Buy the Dip
The Rams looked completely lifeless in Australia last week, but I am refusing to overreact to a bizarre international travel spot.
Sometimes, you have to react to what you see in Week 1 (Chargers, clearly), but sometimes those are just outlier performances (ex. Broncos missing every tackle in KC).
At least LA flew in the day before the game and immediately flew out, meaning their bodies never even adjusted to the time change.
Now, the Rams are back home on Monday Night Football with extended rest, which has proven valuable in the past following Week 1 where I think adjustments are worth a bit more, especially with preseason playing time for starters decreasing with each passing year. Just take a look at the Seahawks, Patriots, and 49ers yesterday.
If you had told me before the season that I could lay seven points with the Rams at home against the Giants, I would have sprinted to the window.
The Nacua and Garrett injuries throw a wrench into that, but I'm still going to trust the Rams at under a touchdown to cover in a prime buy low-sell high spot.
Even without Nacua, McVay can go with heavy personnel and destroy a bad Giants run defense, which should set up easy play-action passes for Stafford, who can stay ahead of the chains and avoid the ferocious New York pass rush in obvious passing situations.
Giants vs Rams Prediction, Betting Analysis
This is the classic Week 2 overreaction game. Look, you have to give credit to the Giants for their effort against Dallas, but I think a lot of that had to do with a brand-new (and underprepared) Dallas defense that just didn't know what to expect from a new-look Giants offense.
I loved the use of Patrick Ricard and Isaiah Likely for the Giants, who almost looked like a quasi-service academy team. They want to be physical and bleed clock, which does fit this team well with a mobile quarterback in Jaxson Dart and the bruising Cam Skattebo in the backfield. It's a feisty, fun bunch.
But, the Rams do at least know what to expect and have demonstrated many times before they can defend power run games, even with lighter boxes — and if they can do that on early downs, their secondary and pass rush should have the edge over New York's wide receivers and offensive line.
Two weeks ago, nobody was buying the Giants, while simultaneously crowning the Rams as a super team. But now, one weird trip to Australia (against a very good SF squad) and a Giants win over a poorly prepared Dallas defense has the market completely overreacting, in my opinion.
I expect the Rams to bring their absolute best effort (FWIW, McVay has been nails ATS following a loss at 63%).
Unless the Giants can maintain their touchdown rate on their clock-bleeding possessions, the Rams can still easily win this by two-possessions even without Nacua — and if Nacua can play, I'm not sure how the Giants get any stops.
I'd also look at the Under, but this is definitely a tough game to handicap, so I wouldn't go crazy with anything until we know more.
Pick: Rams -6.5 (-115)
