NFL Thursday night: Why Giants at 49ers to open Week 3 will be every bit the big mismatch it appears
NFL WEEK 3
GREG COTE’S THURSDAY PICK
GIANTS (1-1) at 49ERS (2-0)
Line: SF by 10.
Cote’s pick: SF, 27-13.
TV: 8:15 p.m., Prime Video.
We went 11-5 straight up and 10-5-1 against the spread in Week 2 so we need to keep the heater going! San Fran, legit Super Bowl hopeful, will be pumped for its home opener; Niners are on an eight-game home win streak and covered the past seven. NYG by contrast began the season outscored 60-0 and needed a major comeback at tanking Arizona to dodge an 0-2 start. (Brian Daboll was that close to learning how quickly the Big Apple can sour on a popular new coach.) I don’t like this matchup for the visiting dogs. Biggies are on a 1-13 skid in prime-time games — including consecutive L’s on Thursday night. (By the way, shouldn’t Deion Sanders, the self-appointed “Coach Prime,” sue Prime Video over its name?) Giants also are likely to be without RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), and that will increase the likelihood the Frans’ mighty defensive front led by Nick Bosa gets all over Daniel Jones against a banged-up New York blocking front. Yet another lopsided element: Fantasy god Christian McCaffrey dancing through a subpar Giants run D.
[Note: Betting line courtesy Caesars Sportsbook as of midday Wednesday. Picks for remainder of Week 3 games will appear online Thursday afternoon and in print Friday] .
