This is the second article in my series on Super Bowl numbers. I showed you all about the Patriots in episode 1, this write-up will dive into the numbers that got the Giants into this position. I can guarantee you now that they won’t have the same awe in numbers that New England collected, but all they need to do is be there to get a chance. Here’s the down-low.
Gambling Numbers: The Giants were 10-6 during the regular season. They were an impressive 10-6 against the spread as well. New York has obviously won each of their 3 playoff games, and since they’ve been underdogs in each contest, they have won ATS in all three. New York was 7-1 on the road during the regular season. The Giants are 9-10 O/U overall, and were 8-8 O/U during the regular season. New York has covered the spread in 8 of their last 10 games and 13 of their last 17 overall. They are 3-5 O/U in their last 8 games, counting the playoffs. The Giants easily covered against the Patriots in the last game of the regular season (13 point dogs; they lost by a field goal). The Giants are 7-1 ATS this season as an underdog (their only loss was to Dallas).
Team Totals: The Giants finished right smack in the middle of the league in total offense (16th) finishing with 331.4 yards per game. They finished 14th in points per game with 23.3 per contest. Only 6 teams in the NFL ran more offensive plays than New York. New York finished 26th in turnover differential, turning the ball over 9 more times than their opponents. They were the one of two playoff teams with a negative number in that category and the worst in the regular season amongst all playoff teams. During the playoffs, however, the Giants are the best in the NFL with a +5 turnover differential. They’ve still fumbled more than any other team (5) but have only lost one in the playoffs. The Giants finished the season 7th in total defense. They were, however, penalized more times than any other team in the league. The Giants gave up 21.9 points per game, which ranked 17th. The Giants led the league in sacks with 53, seven more than the 2nd ranked Patriots.
Individual Statistics: Plaxico Burress led the team with 12 touchdowns as he completed one of the better seasons in his career. Burress had just 70 catches and 1,025 yards, but his 12 touchdowns ranked him 4th in the NFL amongst receivers. Eli Manning threw for 3,336 yards, which ranked him 12th in the NFL. Manning threw 23 touchdown passes, which ranked him 11th in the League. Eli’s 20 interceptions tied him for most in the NFL. Eli had more touchdowns and yards in 2005, but his interception total was the highest of his career. Brandon Jacobs only started 11 games in 2007, but he still managed to eclipse the 1000-yard mark for the first time in his career, leading the team in rushing. In 7 of his 11 starts, Jacobs rushed for more than 85 yards, five times breaking the 100-yard barrier. Osi Umenyiora led the team in sacks with 13 on the year, which was good for 5th in the League. Rushing the quarterback wasn’t a one-man show in New York, though. Justin Tuck and Michael Strahan both finished in the League’s top 20 with 10 and 9 sacks respectively. Antonio Pierce led the team in total tackles with 103. He finished 32nd in the league in tackles.
Recent trends: The Giants have won against the spread in 5 straight games. They have taken 7 of their last 8 ATS. The Giants have finished under in 2 of their 3 playoff games, and only covered the total by 2 points against the Packers. The Giants haven’t lost a road game since Week 1 against the Cowboys.
