In a meeting between the two-win New York Giants and the three-win Oakland Raiders, the Giants are comfy 7.5-point favorites at home, according to Odds Shark. The Giants don't sport a sterling resume, even relative to the Raiders, but they aren't reeling off an embarrassing loss. The Raiders were lit up for seven touchdown passes by Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles last week, and prognosticators have responded in kind.
Raiders vs. Giants 2013 picks and predictions: Will Oakland’s secondary step up?
The Raiders are underdogs to a 2-6 Giants team, and experts are expecting Oakland to lose again on the road. Can the secondary step up after getting torched by Nick Foles last week?
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On SB Nation’s six-member panel of NFL experts, only one person, Ryan Van Bibber, was willing to pick the Raiders to win straight-up. Ditto CBS Sports, where eight of nine picked the Giants. At ESPN, the Giants had a clean sweep as of press time, with six experts yet to make a selection in the game.
Unless the Raiders fix their secondary in a hurry, Eli Manning and a deep wide receiver corps could have their way in the passing game. In particular, rookie cornerback D.J. Hayden will need to step up, according to Raiders blog Silver And Black Pride, after getting roasted by Foles and Co. Fail to do so, and the Giants will score a third straight win after starting the season 0-6.
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