Cardinals Favored Over Giants in Sunday Matchup at MetLife Stadium

The Arizona Cardinals travel to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to face the New York Giants on Sunday, Oct. 4. The Giants enter at 2-1 while the Cardinals sit at 1-2 after three weeks of play.

New York is coming off a 12-7 win over Tennessee and is averaging 15.3 points per game while allowing 18.3. Arizona, meanwhile, dropped a 36-30 decision at San Francisco and is averaging 21.0 points per game while surrendering 27.0.

Oddsmakers have Arizona as a 2.5-point favorite, with the total set at 44.5. The moneyline has the Cardinals at -137 and the Giants at +117.

Arizona’s passing attack

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett has carried a heavy workload for Arizona, completing 82 of 117 passes for 652 yards and 4 touchdowns against just 1 interception through three games — a 70.1 completion rate and 91.5 passer rating. The Cardinals are throwing the ball 39 times per game, and Brissett has largely protected it, with only one giveaway through the air so far.

Tight end Trey McBride has been the focal point of that attack. He caught 9 of 11 targets for 75 yards in Week 3 and has totaled 26 catches for 211 yards and 2 touchdowns on 34 targets this season. McBride has reached at least 8 catches and 10 targets in every game, making him the engine of Arizona’s passing offense, which averages 217.3 receiving yards per game.

New York’s defense and offense

The Giants have generated takeaways despite limited pressure, recording 3 interceptions and 5 total takeaways for a plus-3 turnover margin, tying for eighth in the league in defensive interceptions. That puts Brissett’s ball security squarely in focus against a defense that has allowed just 18.3 points per game and already defended 13 passes.

On offense, quarterback Jameis Winston has completed 25 of 49 passes for 229 yards with 0 touchdowns across close to two full games, a 4.7 yards-per-attempt average. The Giants rank 31st in the league in passing yards per game at 153, despite their 2-1 record.

Arizona’s defensive struggles

The Cardinals defense has had a rougher start, allowing 27 points per game and ranking 24th in points allowed, with 4 sacks and 1 interception through three weeks. That gives Winston and the Giants offense a chance against a unit that has been more exposed than New York’s own defense.