NFL Underdog Pick: Week 14
December 6th 2008
by Special K

Philadelphia Eagles (+7) at New York Giants   

Enough with the Plaxico Burress and Antonio Pierce saga.  Please go visit the TMZ web site if you want more gossip.  The Giants will clearly be a distracted team coming into the week's game against division rival Philadelphia.  The Giants have done very well all year to put most distractions behind them but this issue is of a much bigger magnitude with media coverage that has Terrell Owens wondering what he should do next.  

We are getting on a little roll with the underdog picks having won the last two weeks. For the Giants to be spotting 7 points against a division rival that played them tough in Philadelphia and had an extra 4 days rest, we are looking at three in a row.  For the Eagles, the offense will need to run through Brian Westbrook.  A healthy Westbrook showed what the Eagles offense is capable of doing last week against Arizona.  Plus, McNabb still has a lot to prove since his benching in Baltimore. 

The pressure will clearly be on Eli Manning shoulders this weekend.  Many have already chosen Eli as the NFL MVP this season.  We will see how well he does this weekend as the Eagles defense ranks 8th against the rush and in the last three games teams have only given up an average of 63 yards rushing.  I look for Eli to struggle without his playmaker and the pressure that the Eagles defense will present.

Take the Eagles and the points, if the Giants win, it won't be by more than 3 or 4 points