Patriots-Giants Week 10 Predictions
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots take on the New York Giants in New Jersey on Sunday, looking to improve to 9-0 on the season.
The Giants come into the game 5-4, good for first place in the NFC East. But this isn't those Giants teams that still give Patriots fans nightmares, giving up an NFL-worst 422.6 yards per game. Tom Brady and the New England offense, averaging an NFL-best 34.5 points per contest, should have a field day at the Meadowlands.
READ: Patriots-Giants Preview
Check out the predictions for Sunday's tilt from the WBZ-TV, WBZ NewsRadio and 98.5 The Sports Hub teams:
Steve Burton, WBZ-TV Sports
The Patriots have played the Giants nine times during the regular season, and lead the series 5-4. That has no baring on Sunday's game, and neither do New England's two Super Bowl loses against the G-Men.
READ: NFL Week 10 Local Picks
It's always about the next game in the Patriots' locker room. Yes, the Pats are hurting with injuries but they still have enough to keep on rolling. The Patriots will be 9-0 come Sunday night.
Patriots 34, Giants 28
Dan Roche, WBZ-TV Sports
Who is available to protect Tom Brady on Sunday? That's the biggest question for the Patriots heading into their matchup with the Giants.
The Giants don't have the same pass rush from years past that has given Brady fits, but the question is how will the O-line hold up for the Pats? Look for a lower scoring game from New England in this one.
Patriots 30, Giants 17
Levan Reid, WBZ-TV Sports
I will be honest, when the schedule first came out I penciled this in as a loss for the Pats. I thought going to New Jersey and playing against that Giants superstition would be hard for the Patriots.
I don't feel the same way now though.
The Giants will give the Pats secondary problems. Odell Beckham Jr. is as good as advertised. He can get after the rock and run like a deer. The team will have to lock him down and then take their chances with New York's other threats. Eli Manning gets rid of the ball quickly and that may make the New England pass rush obsolete. The Pats will have to get their hands up in the passing lane and knock Eli's passes down. Shane Vereen will pose somewhat of a problem, especially because the Pats will probably play this week without Jamie Collins. But I think they will be able to overcome that.
Here's where New England wins: The Giants pass defense is horrible. They are giving up more than 400 yards per game. Tom Brady must be chomping at the bit to get after them. Gronk should have a big game, and so should Edelman and Amendola. This will also be a good test to see how James White does catching the ball out of the backfield.
Expect a lot of points but expect the Pats to score more.
Patriots 41, Giants 27
Adam Kaufman, 98.5 The Sports Hub/WBZ NewsRadio 1030 AM
This game probably shouldn't scare any Patriots fans. Yes, the Giants share the NFL-lead with 13 interceptions and 20 overall takeaways, but their defense also permits an average of 422.6 passing yards a game and they just so happen to be preparing to face the game's midseason MVP under center. Tom Brady is second in the league with 339 passing yards a week, first with a 113.5 rating, fifth with a 68.6 completion percentage and, as important as anything, his 22:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio is obscene. Even without Dion Lewis, the Pats should have no trouble covering the 7-point spread in the Meadowlands.
BUT, they're the Giants; the team that still gives Pats fans nightmares what it accomplished in 2008 and then 2012. It's the same club with a coach and QB who haven't lost to Brady in a game that counts since 2007. No other team among the 31 can make that claim. In fact, Big Blue coach Tom Coughlin has a lifetime 5-1 record against Bill Belichick-led teams.
No, these Giants aren't the same Giants of years past. Still, the history is impossible to ignore. So are the shivers. There's no taking this game for granted on the way to 9-0, but...
Patriots 34, Giants 21
Mike "Sarge" Riley, 98.5 The Sports Hub/WBZ NewsRadio 1030 AM
I really hope I am wrong, but I've got a bad feeling about this one. The Giants have been the Patriots' kryptonite. Let's not go down memory lane for the sake of shedding tears, but it did happen...
I think Brady will continue his 2015 "Revenge Tour," passing for 300 yards with two touchdowns -- one to Gronk and the other to Amendola.
For the Giants, Eli Manning will throw for just under 300 yards and will take advantage of a mediocre Patriots secondary. Eli should be able to have some fun with Odell Beckham Jr. and old friend Shane Vereen.
The Giants lead the league in turnovers with 21, which scares me given this game is on the road. I think that will be the story of the game in the end. Someone is going to fumble in the end and that will cost the Patriots the game.
I want to follow my heart with the Patriots in this one, but the Giants are in my head.
Giants 27, Patriots 24
You can catch Sunday's Patriots-Giants game on WBZ-TV and 98.5 The Sports Hub -- the flagship stations on the New England Patriots. Pregame coverage begins on WBZ-TV at 11:30am with Patriots GameDay, and on 98.5FM at 1:30pm. Following the game, stayed tuned for three hours of postgame coverage on the Hub, and switch over to myTV38 for Patriots 5th Quarter!