Are you worried about the Carolina Panthers?
They put up a dud in the first preseason game, losing 27-0 to the Jets.
First-overall pick Bryce Young went 4-for-6 passing, but he led three drives ending in punts, including two three-and-outs.
Are you worried about the New York Giants?
They put up 243 yards on 55 plays in their first preseason game, posting an abysmal 4.4 yards per play in a 21-16 loss to the Lions.
The answer to both of those questions is a resounding no.
I expect a bounce-back performance from both preseason offenses in Week 2.
Giants vs. Panthers pick
The Jets’ defensive line dominated the Panthers on the offensive line.
But the Giants are much thinner on their defensive line, as several backups are injured, leaving them with no real options if they want to rest starters (as I expect them to).
The Panthers still want to see something out of Bryce Young, so he’ll lead a few drives, which is good.
We’ll see much more of backup Matt Corral again.
While he threw an interception in Week 1, he was largely fine otherwise (15-for-22, 126 yards).
I loved him at Ole Miss, so I’m relatively high on him compared to the market.
Meanwhile, the Giants couldn’t develop consistent offense against the Lions, but they’ll face a Panthers team that was shredded by the Jets.
Expect a lot of Tommy DeVito, who completed 62.5% of his passes for over 150 yards but was hindered by five sacks. He won’t face that kind of pressure again.
So, sure, these offenses looked lifeless in Week 1 of the preseason.
But we can’t reasonably expect that to happen again.
Remember, the Colts hired head coach Frank Reich from Indianapolis over the offseason, so the Panthers are still trying to install a new offensive scheme.
They’ll need this game to iron out the kinks.
Last year, Reich’s Colts scored 77 points in their three preseason games, good for 25.7 per game.
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The motivation is there.
Meanwhile, Brian Daboll’s Giants scored 75 points across their three preseason games in 2022, good for 25 per game.
They also allowed 74 points in those meaningless contests – the Giants love to play high-scoring preseason games.
So, expect a bounce-back game from both pre-season contests in a higher-scoring faux football affair, and wager accordingly.
Our pick
Over 39.5 (-110) | Play to over 41.5 (-110)