Giants vs. Browns: NFL preseason betting odds, preview, and pick
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)
August 21st, 2021
Week 2 of the 2021 NFL preseason rolls on this Sunday afternoon as the New York Giants visit the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium (1:00 p.m. ET, NFLN). “Big Blue” will attempt to rebound from a 12-7 defeat at the hands of New York Jets, while the Browns will look to keep their momentum going following a 23-13 triumph over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
What a connection from Kyle Lauletta to Davion Davis for the touchdown 👀https://t.co/n2k6ODvtWT
— Billy Heyen (@BillyHeyen) August 15, 2021
Our preview and predictions for this preseason contest are below.
New York Giants (0-1) at Cleveland Browns (1-0)
How much will Jones, Mayfield play?
Daniel Jones and a portion of the Giants’ starting offense could see a possession or two in this game after missing Week 1. Kenny Golladay (hamstring), Kyle Rudolph (foot), and Saquon Barkley (knee) are all expected to skip this contest though.
The “Big Blue” offense was stagnant for most of Week 1; their top passer was Clayton Thorson, who went 5-for-16 with 72 yards and a touchdown.
“All hail the New York Giants.” - King Julius pic.twitter.com/0QNgwGMdv5
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) August 19, 2021
Baker Mayfield and the Browns starters will play sparingly, if at all, on Sunday. The former No. 1 overall draft pick didn’t play at all against the Jaguars, but isn’t concerned about his conditioning.
“Our job is to be ready physically, mentally, and just ready to roll as soon as the season comes around,” he told the Akron Beacon-Journal. “You’re supposed to be ready when you come back to camp physically and work through all the [details], iron out all the little details, and right now, we’re on pace to do that.
Kyle Lauletta, who went 19-for-27 for 212 yards and two touchdowns in lieu of Mayfield in Week 1, should get the bulk of the snaps once more.
Will tempers flare once more?
In what’s becoming a common thread among these joint team practices, the Giants and Browns got into a minor altercation just as Friday’s session came to a close. New York wide-out Sterling Shepard and Cleveland cornerback Troy Hill had to be separated by teammates after throwing some punches.
Sterling Shepard and Troy Hill had to be separated today at Giants-Browns join practice.
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) August 20, 2021
(via @clevelanddotcom) pic.twitter.com/vY2stZMmcO
“We kind of got a feel for it [Thursday] but we really didn’t have that juice that we had today,” Shepard told the New York Post on Friday. “That’s what it’s all about. That’s why we came down here, to get good work. I felt that’s what we got.”
Giants vs. Browns injury report
| New York Giants | Cleveland Browns |
|---|
Kenny Golladay: Out (hamstring) | Odell Beckham Jr: Questionable (knee) |
Kyle Rudolph: Out (foot) | Myles Garrett: Questionable (hamstring) |
Saquon Barkley: Out (knee) | Denzel Ward: Questionable (soreness) |
Kadarius Toney: Out (undisclosed) | Ronnie Harrison Jr: Questionable (hamstring) |
Giants and Browns betting trends
- The Browns are 6-1 SU in their last seven games played in August
- The Browns are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games as a favorite
- The Giants are 20-6 ATS in their last 26 games as a road underdog
- The Under is 13-3 in the Giants’ last 16 games overall
The verdict
If the Browns’ second-stringers can bottle what they did against the Jaguars in Week 1 of the preseason, the Giants’ second-stringers don’t stand a chance.
Score prediction: Browns 24, Giants 13
NFL pick: Browns -4.5
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