The NFL week wraps up with an NFC Showdown between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. This weeks Monday Night contest features two of the games brightest young wide receviers squaring off as they look to keep their teams atop the standings.

For the Giants the team will need big time production from Odell Beckham Jr this week as they face off against one of the teams top defenses. Entering this contest the Vikings rank 6^th in total yards allowed, 9^th in passing yards allowed 7^th in rushing yards allowed and 3^rd in points allowed through their first three contests.

Meanwhile for the Vikings they will need to ride their passing attack with their young stud receiver Stefon Diggs. Entering this contest the Giants have been really good against the run but have allowed 262 passing yards per contests. This is something Sam Bradford will look to take advantage of.

Here are the Keys and Trends for the New York Giants VS Minnesota Vikings contest on Monday October 3^rd, 2016.

New York Giants Keys & Trends For Week 4

Put The Pressure On: Once thing we know for sure and that is the Vikings have one of the NFL’s top defenses. Knowing this the Giants need to put a ton of pressure on quarterback Sam Bradford early and often something that he has had trouble with in his career. If the Giants can’t find this Bradford will continue his early success where he has thrown for 457 total yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Betting Trends: The good news for Giants fans looking to take them this weekend is the fact they are 1-0 against the spread on the road. The bad news is there are just 1-4 overall against the spread in their last five games while going just 4-9 against teams on the road.

Minnesota Vikings Keys & Trends For Week 4

Establish The Run: If you looked at the Vikings success on the ground this season you would think the club was 0-3 not 3-0. On 74 total carries the team has managed just 153 yards for a combined 2.1 yards per carry average. Now that Adrian Peterson is out and the team continues to struggle opposing defenses will look to put an extra guy in to protect against the pass limiting the Vikings passing attack. If the Vikings want to avoid this they will need Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata to produce this weekend.

Betting Trends: Not only have the Vikings started the season with three straight wins they have also covered the spread in each of those contests. Along with that the Vikings have also gone 23-8 against the spread against fellow teams in the NFC dating back the last few seasons. The downside though is the team has struggled on Monday Night Football going 0-7 against the spread on Prime Time.

New York Giants @ Minnesota Vikings (-5)

Over/Under – (43.5)

Head To Head Betting Trends

Favorite has controlled the series covering in each of their last four meetings.

Home Field Advantage hasn’t been the case as the Giants have controlled Minnesota in Minnesota going 5-2 against the spread in their last seven meetings.

Road team has dominated the series going 7-3 against the spread in the last ten meetings.

NFL Week 4 Thursday Night Football Preview 

Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals 

Thursday, Sept. 29, 8:30 p.m. (ET) NFL Network

NFL Pointspread: Cincinnati -7

Total Line: 44.5                 

Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals Game Matchup Overview

The Dolphins were able to snap a two-game skid to start the season with a much needed 30-24 victory against Cleveland last Sunday as heavy 9.5-point favorites at home. This followed losses on the road to Seattle and New England to start the season. Miami is also 1-2 against the spread and the total has gone OVER closing line in its last two games. It heads into Thursday night with a 7-1 record ATS in its last eight road games against the Bengals.

Fifth-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill has Miami ranked 10^th in the NFL in passing with 892 yards and five touchdown throws. His favorite target has been Jarvis Landry with 24 receptions for 314 yards and a score. The Dolphins are going to need better production from a run game that has averaged just 83 yards a game. Look for rookie running back Kenyan Drake to get the bulk of the carries on Thursday night with Arian Foster still nursing an injury.

Cincinnati started its season with a tight 23-22 win over the New York Jets in a game that ended as a push, but back-to-back losses to Pittsburgh on the road and Denver at home the past two weeks also has the Bengals at 1-2 SU with a 0-2-1 record ATS. The total has gone OVER in two of their first three contests. With the 29-17 loss to the Broncos as a 3.5-point home favorite, Cincinnati is now just 1-4-1 ATS in its last six home games.

The Bengals have also been a pass-oriented team this season with an average of 293 yards a game verse a ground attack that is ranked 27^th in the league with 82 yards a game. Andy Dalton has thrown for 938 yards and two touchdowns with AJ Green hauling in 22 catches for 295 yards and a score. Dalton has also been picked off twice and sacked 12 times in three games.

NFL Week 3 Sunday Night Football Preview

Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys 

Sunday, Sept. 25, 8:30 p.m. (ET) NBC

NFL Pointspread: Dallas -7

Total Line: 44.5

Chicago at Dallas Game Matchup Overview

The Bears are still searching for their first win of the season after losing to both Houston and Philadelphia in their first two games. They closed as 4.5-point road underdogs in a 23-14 loss to the Texans on opening day and this past Monday they fell to the Eagles 29-14 as three-point home favorites with BetAnySports. They are now 1-6 both straight-up and against the spread in their last seven games.

To make matters worse, Jay Cutler has been ruled out for Sunday night so look for Brian Hoyer to get the start at quarterback. Chicago has really struggled on offense the first two weeks with an average of just 271 yards a game. The Bears’ defense has also been stung with a couple of key injuries at the linebacker position and through the first two games this unit ranks 22^nd in the NFL against the run and 24^th in points allowed.

Dallas has split its first two games starting with a tight 20-19 loss to the New York Giants as a one-point home underdog. It bounced back last week with a 27-23 victory against Washington as a three-point underdog on the road with BetAnySports. The total was split as well by staying UNDER 48 against the Giants before going OVER 47.5 points in last Sunday’s win. The Cowboys have lost their last five home games SU with a 0-3-2 record ATS.

Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott has been handed the keys to the offense in place of an injured Tony Romo and so far he been up to the task by completing 47-of-75 attempts for 519 yards, but he is still looking for his first touchdown pass. Rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott has run the ball 41 times for 134 yards and two scores, but he was benched in last week’s game due to a couple of fumbles. Cole Beasley has also been a big part of the Dallas offense with 13 receptions for 140 yards.

NFL Thursday Night Football Preview 

Houston Texans at New England Patriots

Thursday, Sept. 22, 8:30 p.m. (ET) CBS

Betting Pointspread: Houston -1

Total Line: 40.5 

Houston at New England Game Matchup Overview

The Texans are off to a fast 2-0 start both straight-up and against the spread with a 23-14 victory against the Bears as 4.5-point home favorites in their season opener followed by last Sunday’s 19-12 win at home against Kansas City in a game that closed as a PICK with RealBet Sportsbook. The total stayed UNDER in both of those games. Houston will now have to go on the road where it is 4-2 both SU and ATS in its last six road games.

Brock Osweiler came over to the Texans this offseason as a free agent from Denver and so far he has completed 60.3 of his 68 passing attempts for 499 yards and three touchdown throws. The running game has been able to average 113 yards a game in the first two weeks behind another free agent addition Lamar Miller. He has rushed the ball 53 times for 189 yards. Credit Houston’s defense for the fast start as one of the top units in the league in both points and yards allowed.

New England is also off to a 2-0 start both SU and ATS even with future “Hall of Fame” quarterback Tom Brady and All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski out of the lineup. The Patriots went on the road and stunned Arizona 23-21 as heavy 9.5-point underdogs in NFL picks before upending Miami 31-24 at home in Week 2 as six-point favorites. The total ended as a PUSH against the Cardinals and it went OVER  42-point closing line this past Sunday. The Patriots are now 23-2 SU in their last 25 home games.

Backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has played well in the first two games of Brady’s four-game league suspension, but after suffering a shoulder injury against the Dolphins it could be Jacoby Brissett under center this Thursday night. The ‘next man up’ mentality in New England will definitely be put to the test against a very opportunistic Texans’ defense, but the Patriots have shown some excellent balance on offense with LeGarrette Blount as the lead back. He has rushed for 193 yards and two touchdowns in his first two games.

NFL Week 2 Monday Night Football Preview

Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears 

Monday, Sept. 19, 8:30 p.m. (ET) ESPN

Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears  Pointspread: Chicago -3

Total Line: 42.5

Monday Night Philadelphia at Chicago Game Matchup Overview

The Eagles opened their new season on a high note with a 29-10 victory against Cleveland after closing as four-point home favorites. The total in that game stayed UNDER 41 after going OVER in six of their previous seven games. Philadelphia is now 4-2 both straight-up and against the spread in its last six games. It will head into Chicago with a 3-1 record (SU and ATS) in its last four road games.

The big story against the Browns was the play of rookie quarterback Carson Wentz, who was the second overall pick of this year’s draft after the Eagles traded with Cleveland to move all the way up to that spot. He ended the game with 278 passing yards and two touchdown throws while completing 22-of-37 attempts. Jordan Matthews also had a big day catching the ball with seven receptions for 114 yards and a score. The Eagles’ defense did its part by holding the Browns to 288 yards of total offense.

Chicago’s season opener did not go nearly as well in a 23-14 loss to Houston as a 4.5-point road underdog on closing betting line. The Bears opened up a 14-10 lead at the half in that game, but they went down in defeat after allowing 13 unanswered points in the second half. The total stayed UNDER 43 after going OVER in four of their prior five games. The Bears are now 1-5 both SU and ATS in their last six games and they have failed to cover in four of their last five games played at home.

Last week’s loss to the Texans was not one of Jay Cutler’s finer games at quarterback. He completed 16-of-29 attempts for 216 yards and a score while getting picked-off once and sacked five times. The Bears could only manage 73 yards on the ground with Jeremy Langford leading the way with 57 rushing yards on 17 attempts. They also had their issues stopping the run on the other side of the ball with Houston racking up 129 yards on the ground. 

NFL Thursday Night Football Preview & Free Pick

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills

Thursday, Sept. 16, 8:30 p.m. (ET) CBS

NFL Pointspread: PICK

Total Line: 40.5

New York at Buffalo Game Matchup Overview

The Jets opened their regular season with a last minute 23-22 loss to Cincinnati as one-point home underdogs on RealBets closing spread and the total went OVER 42 in that game. It was a disappointing start for a team that turned the corner last season at 10-6 straight-up. New York will now head into Buffalo as a slight underdog with a 1-3-2 record against the spread in its last six road games.

Free agent addition Matt Forte was one of the bright spots in the loss with a team-high 96 yards rushing on 22 carries and five receptions for 59 yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 19-of-35 passing attempts for 189 yards and two touchdowns in a losing cause. The Jets led this game by two points late in the fourth quarter, but their defense could not keep Cincinnati from driving down the field to kick a game-winning 47-yard field goal with just 54 seconds left on the clock.

Buffalo also went down in defeat on opening day in a 13-7 loss to Baltimore as a three-point road underdog. The total in that game stayed well UNDER  closing 44.5-point line. The Bills will open their home schedule with a 4-1 record both SU and ATS in their last five home games and they also bring a five-game winning streak (SU and ATS) against New York into this AFC East matchup. The total has stayed UNDER in 12 of their last 17 games played at home.

The Bills’ offense could only muster 95 yards through the air against the Ravens with Tyrod Taylor getting the start at quarterback. Their lone score of the game came on a one-yard touchdown run by LeSean McCoy. He ended the game with 58 yards rushing on 16 carries for an average of 3.6 yards an attempt. Sammy Watkins was the team’s leading receiver with four catches for 43 yards, but he continues to be hampered with soreness in his surgically repaired foot.