Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any crazier for the New York Jets and New York Giants, that’s what we are looking at heading into Christmas and Week 16. Let’s hope next season is more predictable when bettors are using New York sports betting apps.
The Jets (3-11) will host the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12) on Sunday (CBS, 1 p.m. ET). Ironically, the winner will lose out in the NFL Draft order.
Here, with weeks to go before mobile betting gets started in the Empire State, is a look at Week 16 for the Jets and Giants.
Oddsmakers Sees Jets-Jags as a Toss-Up
According to two mobile betting platforms, the Jets and Jaguars are evenly matched. On Caesars Sportsbook, the game is a pick'em and both are listed at -110 on the moneyline, with the over-under total points at 41.5. Over at BetMGM, the Jets are a slight 1-point underdog with both moneyline and over-under total points the same as Caesars.
The other dismal squad that calls MetLife Stadium home, the Giants (4-10), visit their hated NFC East rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, at the same time on FOX.
The Giants are 9.5-point underdogs on Caesars and 10-point underdogs at BetMGM NY with the Giants as a +350 (Caesars) and a +340 (BetMGM) moneyline underdog. Over-under total points is set at 40.5 with both sites. The Eagles are prohibitive moneyline favorites at -450 on both platforms.
Battle of No. 1 vs. 2 at QB
Sunday's Jets-Jaguars game will be the fourth time since 1967 that quarterbacks selected No. 1 and No. 2 overall in the same draft play each other as rookies.
The top pick out of Clemson, Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence, has started in all 14 games this season for the Jags and has thrown for 2,945 yards and nine touchdowns. He is tied with the Bengals’ Joe Burrow and Titans’ Ryan Tannehill with a league-high 14 interceptions. He has completed 58.1% of his passes.
Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson, out of Brigham Young, was picked next in the draft. He has not thrown an interception in his last two games, including a spirited effort in a 31-24 road loss to AFC East rival Miami Dolphins last Sunday. Wilson completed 13 of 23 passes for 170 yards with no TDs and had four carries for 12 yards on the ground with one TD.
Oh yeah, one another thing: Jets head coach Robert Saleh tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday morning, putting his availability for Week 16 in jeopardy. Tight ends coach Ron Middleton will lead practices and will be first in line to handle the head coaching duties if Saleh isn’t cleared.
On the other sideline, Darrell Bevell will be in his second week as Jacksonville's interim head coach, following the firing of Urban Meyer.
NYBets.com prediction: Who really wants to win this game? Can’t be a tie. Can it? Nope. Wilson will get back some redemption over the No. 1 pick. Jets 24, Jaguars 17.
Can Giants Sweep Eagles?
Somehow, the Giants (4-10) upended the Eagles at home, 13-7, on Nov. 28. Eagles wide receiver and former first-round draft pick Jalen Reagor dropped two passes for possible scores in the final minute of the game to seal the Eagles’ fate.
The Giants last Sunday lost, 21-6, at home to the NFC East-leading Dallas Cowboys.
Backup quarterback Mike Glennon, who has taken over for Daniel Jones (out with a neck injury), completed 13 of 24 passes for 99 yards, no TDs and three interceptions. Third-string quarterback and former Georgia star Jake Fromm saw second-half action. He completed 6 of 12 passes for 82 yards and no TDs.
The Eagles are coming over a COVID-19 delayed game on Tuesday night. They defeated another NFC East rival, the Washington Football Team, at home, 27-17, to move to .500 with a 7-7 record for the season.
Trailing 10-0 after the first quarter, the Eagles (who were on break for 16 days) got rid of their rustiness and outscored Washington, 27-7, over the final three quarters to secure an important win in their playoff push.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts continues to improve weekly. He completed 20 of 26 passes for 296 yards with one TD and one INT. In addition, Hurts ran for two scores and now holds the franchise record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season with 10. That passed the previous mark of nine held by Michael Vick.
Philadelphia's rushing attack also provided 238 yards on the ground. The Eagles now have more than 175 rushing yards in seven consecutive games, their longest streak since at least 1940.
Oh yeah, one more thing: The Eagles announced on Wednesday that head coach Nick Sirianni has entered COVID-19 protocol after testing positive for the virus. Sirianni will continue to conduct his responsibilities remotely and remains hopeful about coaching on Sunday. If he can’t, pass game coordinator Kevin Patullo would be the acting head coach and make the game-situation decisions if Sirianni can't coach.
NYBets.com prediction: Both teams hate each other. The Eagles are hot and playing for a playoff position, wanting to get rid of the bad Thanksgiving weekend loss to the Giants. The win on Tuesday night continued the momentum and it won’t end on Sunday. Eagles 34, Giants 13.
