Giants (0-3) at Saints (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Oct. 3, Caesars Superdome, New Orleans TV: Fox
Tipico Sportsbook line: Saints by 7 ⁄2
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Giants’ keys to victory: Protecting the football is vital against a defense with six interceptions, but QB Daniel Jones has his work cut out for him with a banged-up receiving corps. There’s a lot riding on the hopes of WR Kenny Golladay turning up after his quiet start to the season; leaning on RB Saquon Barkley is a tough sell against one of the NFL’s better run defenses. When New Orleans has the ball, it’s on DT Leonard Williams and DE Azeez Ojulari to disrupt the Saints’ passing game before it can warm up.
Saints’ keys to victory: Can QB Jameis Winston lead a gamewinning drive? He hasn’t been put in position to try it, and it probably won’t happen this week against a bad Giants team. The Saints have found a winning formula that relies on heavy doses of RB Alvin Kamara to control the clock and feeds opponents to their raucous defense. CB Marshon Lattimore must continue taking the opposing team’s first read away snap after snap, while the big guys up front must finish their pressures by creating sacks.
Matchup to watch: Giants’ Ojulari vs. Saints RT Ryan Ramczyk. Ojulari primarily rushes off the opposite end of the formation. Ramczyk has been uncharacteristically poor against athletic, flexible edge rushers like Ojulari, Carolina’s Brian Burns and New England’s Matthew Judon. It’s a matchup New York could own.
Who wins? The Saints are a better team in all three phases. They have flaws, but the Giants aren’t in a good position to exploit them.
Saints, 24-14