NFC Playoff Pick – Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants

BetOnline NFL betting odds:  N.Y. GIANTS -4, Total 40

NOTABLE STAT: Giants have averaged five yards per rushing attempt

KEY NFL FOOTBALL BETTING TREND:  Philadelphia is 11-4 ATS in last 15 road games

In the BetOnline NFL football betting odds, the Giants are listed as a four-point favorite, with a posted total of 40 points.

Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* PHIL has won and covered five of its last six games

* PHIL has covered 11 of its last 15 road games

* PHIL has played five of its last six road games UNDER the total

* NY has covered nine of its last 11 games

* NY has won 16 of its last 20 games SU

* NY has played four of its last five games UNDER the total

* NY has covered five of its last six home games

* NY has won seven of its last eight home games SU

Also…

* NY has won six of the last nine meetings SU

* NY has covered four of the last five meetings

* Four of the last five meetings have gone UNDER the total

* PHIL has won and covered four of the last six meetings as the road team

* Ten of the last 12 meetings in East Rutherford have gone UNDER the total

There won’t be any surprises here, for either team. This is going to be the eighth time they have faced each other in the last three seasons. The Eagles have been on a roll, winning and covering five of their last six games, the only slip-up being a 10-3 loss at Washington when they came oh-so close to scoring a tying touchdown in the closing moments.

During their surge they were able to go to the Meadowlands and beat the Giants, in a game where they held New York to just 211 yards of total offense. That has been indicative of how well this defense has been playing, as Philadelphia had limited each of its last seven regular season opponents to less than 300 yards, and in the playoff game against Minnesota last week the Vikings were barely able to crack the 300-yard mark (301). In the previous win over the Giants, Bryan Westbrook came up big, with 133 rushing yards, and he came up with the big play against Minnesota last Sunday, scoring on a 71-yard screen pass.

Both passers in this game will suffer in the winds are gusting in Giants Stadium. So which of them has been hotter down the stretch? Well, Eli Manning, who was selected for his first Pro Bowl appearance, has completed just 55% of his throws in the last four weeks, and has three TD passes and three interceptions in the last five games. Those are not stellar numbers. Meanwhile, Donovan McNabb has tossed ten TD passes with only two picked off in the last six games.

Some people have speculated that the Giants may have peaked too early; that their 1-3 finish may be more indicative of their playoff viability than their 11-1 start. Well, that is a speculation that we’ll engage in, but the fact is that this team has covered nine of its last 11 games, and sports the best all-around rushing game in the league, featuring two 1000-yard rushers in Brandon Jacobs (1089 yards, 5.3 ypc) and Derrick Ward (1025 yards, 5.6 ypc), which will always help under unfavorable weather conditions. It does appear, however, that even though Manning has capable receivers at his disposal in Steve Smith (57 catches for 574 yards), Amani Toomer (48 for 580 yards) and Dominick Hixon (13.9 yards/catch), the absence of Plaxico Burress takes away a big-play element that was instrumental in this team’s drive to the title last year. Burress was often a pain in the ass, but he was usually a dependable guy on Sunday and always presented mismatches against defensive backs.

McNabb may not have as much depth in his weaponry as Manning, he does have one of the league’s most versatile backs in Westbrook, who tallied 1338 combined rushing/receiving yards, as well as rookie DeSean Jackson (912 yards, 14.7 yards per catch), who is the best deep threat on the field. McNabb has been in a "proving" mood ever since he was benched against Baltimore, and as long as he can stay away from the big mistake, Philadelphia ought to be able to put together some drives.

Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, the guy who taught Steve Spagnuolo at least much of what he knows, has spoken glowingly about his stop unit, which has allowed just 54 points over the last five games. This is a team that can bring a lot of pressure on the passer (48 sacks) and make the big plays in the secondary (Asante Samuel’s TD return against Minnesota providing ample evidence), while at the same time keeping opposing running attacks from getting too far out of control (3.5 ypc allowed).

There is a sense here that just as the season-ending game against New England gave the Giants some much-needed confidence for their playoff run, so might have Philly’s prior win at Giants Stadium. This is going to knockdown/drag-out, and in this kind of contest we figure we’re better off taking points,. So even though we have trumpeted the Giants’ chances to get to the Super Bowl, we’ll grab points with Philadelphia, the four-point underdog in the BetOnline NFL pro football playoff betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY:  PHILADELPHIA +4 ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

(Charles Jay scores one touchdown after another as a regular contributor to the BetOnline.com Locker Room)