The Washington Commanders might get Jayden Daniels back, but his top receivers may be on the shelf. And the Giants could be without their top receiving threat. It’s a jumble of issues, but here is the prediction, odds, and pick for the Week 5 NFC East contest between the Commanders and Giants.
It’s a shaky hold at best, but the Giants stand in first place in the division with a record of 3-1. Meanwhile, the Commanders are in last place with an injury-riddled 1-3 mark.
Let’s see what the oddsmakers think of this murky matchup.
Giants vs. Commanders Odds
- Commanders: -3.5
- Giants: +3.5
- Over: 43.5
- Under: 43.5
It’s clear that the expected return of Jayden Daniels is fueling this Commanders role as the favorite. Otherwise, why would a last-place team be favored over the division frontrunner, even at home?
As for the over-under line, it’s a dart throw either way. The Giants’ offense hasn’t looked great under the leadership of Jameis Winston. And who knows what to expect from the Commanders’ offense if they don’t have their best receiving threats.
Giants vs. Commanders key injuries
It’s well-documented that the Giants will go the rest of the season without Jaxson Dart at quarterback. And with Malik Nabers saddled with a DNP for Wednesday’s practice, it’s hard to imagine exactly what the Giants will look like for this contest. Nabers seemed to downplay it, according to ESPN.
“Just sore,” Nabers said. “We'll see how the next day goes, but through the week, I'm usually sore. But this one was kind of a little bit more sore. I always continue to fight through it.”
Head coach John Harbaugh doesn’t seem worried.
“He's doing great, yeah,” Harbaugh said. “He had a great day. Great spirits [Wednesday]. He had a good workday.”
Nabers said he needs more attention during the games from a target standpoint.
“I think we need to implement more things after halftime,” Nabers said. “Just also trying to give me the ball down the field to create some of those opportunities for us to gain more points. It felt like during the first half when we did that, it kind of led into the right direction with scoring touchdowns in the red zone. And just, after that, we just couldn't get going.”
Another tough thing for the Giants is that left tackle Andrew Thomas didn’t make it to practice on Wednesday. And running back Cam Skattebo was limited with a shoulder injury.
As for the Commanders, they didn’t have either Terry McLaurin or Stefon Diggs at practice on Wednesday. But Daniels has been practicing in full, according to ESPN.
“He's full go,” Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough said Thursday when asked if Washington had to account for Daniels' dislocated left elbow in the game plan. “We're looking forward to having him back.”
Daniels will wear a black brace that leaves his elbow slightly bent. He said it won’t limit him when handing off or taking snaps from center.
Also on the good side of things, guard Sam Cosmi and defensive back Nick Cross are back on the practice scene, according to commanderswire.com.
“It will be good to have Nick return to practice this week as well,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said. “With Sam and Nick not traveling (to London), the hope was to get them into practice this week. It will be good to get Nick back into the mix.”
Also returning to practice were several other key players.
“They’ve been working off to the side, and we will have to make some decisions moving forward: Trey Amos (cornerback), Deatrich Wise (defensive end), J-Mac (Jeremy McNichols (running back),” Quinn said. “We’ll kinda go through the group of them tomorrow to see when that begins; they're windows to get started.”
Giants vs. Commanders betting trends
For the season, the Giants have been an impressive 3-1 against the spread. Meanwhile, the Commanders are 2-2.
Also in Giants games, the Over is 2-2. For the Commanders, that mark is 3-1.
Article Continues BelowKeys to Giants vs. Commanders matchup
It’s going to be a matter of getting things done on the ground. For the Giants, that means a heavy dose of Cam Skattebo. That’s if he can hold up to the pounding.
Meanwhile, the Commanders will rely on Jacory Croskey-Merritt. But they will also expect plays from Jayden Daniels and veteran Austin Ekeler, who looked sharp in his return to the field last week.
One big question is whether the Commanders can cover Nabers. They probably can’t, unless Winston gives them some help.
Another key is how the Commanders will hold up against Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter. Washington’s offensive line is one of the worst in the NFL, and Carter will likely come hard and heavy throughout the game.
Giants vs. Commanders prediction and pick
With Daniels back in the lineup, the scales could tip in the Commanders’ favor. He should be able to make enough big plays to keep things close. But will that put the Commanders over the top?
It’s hard to imagine a Giants team with this many season-altering injuries getting off to a 4-1 start. It makes more sense that the Commanders get this victory. But then again, the Commanders have been a difficult team to predict this season.