Week 8 of the 2021 NFL schedule concludes with a cross-conference matchup on Monday Night Football. The Kansas City Chiefs will host the New York Giants in a potentially pivotal game, and the contest will be showcased to a national audience. The Chiefs have been uncharacteristically shaky this season, scuffling to a 3-4 record. The Giants are 2-5, but New York did pick up a 22-point win in Week 7 against Carolina.
Kick-off is at 8:15 p.m. ET in Kansas City. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Chiefs as 10.5-point home favorites, while the Over-Under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 52 in the latest Giants vs. Chiefs odds. Before you make any Giants vs. Chiefs picks and NFL predictions, make sure you see what SportsLine NFL expert Larry Hartstein has to say.
A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed while working for Pro Football Focus. Entering the 2021 campaign, Hartstein was 351-291 all-time on NFL sides, returning more than $2,200 for $100 bettors.
In addition, Hartstein is an expert on the Chiefs. He is a blistering 18-5 in his last 23 NFL picks involving Kansas City, returning more than $1,200 for $100 bettors! Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Hartstein has set his sights on Chiefs vs. Giants. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks. Now, here are several NFL odds and trends for Giants vs. Chiefs:
- Chiefs vs. Giants spread: Chiefs -10.5
- Chiefs vs. Giants over-under: 52 points
- Chiefs vs. Giants money line: Chiefs -550, Giants +400
- NYG: Giants won outright as three-point underdogs last week
- KC: Chiefs are 2-5 against the spread this season
Why the Giants can cover
New York’s offense has not been dynamic, but this is a friendly matchup. Daniel Jones is playing the best football of his career at quarterback, leading the team with 229 rushing yards and posting top-10 marks in total offense and interception rate. The Giants are also a top-10 team in fumble prevention, giving the ball away only three times this season.
Kansas City’s defense has also been quite shaky, with the worst mark in allowing 40.8 yards and 2.87 points per drive. The Chiefs rank No. 30 in the NFL in third down defense, No. 27 in scoring defense and No. 28 in total defense, with bottom-five marks in rushing defense. Kansas City has allowed 902 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns and 4.7 yards per carry this season, and the Giants should be able to move the ball against a porous defensive opponent.
Why the Chiefs can cover
The Chiefs rank in the top eight of the NFL in points, points per drive, total yards, first downs, completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns and yards per carry. Kansas City is No. 1 in the league in yards per drive (44.4) and third down efficiency (57 percent), with Patrick Mahomes captaining the ship. Mahomes is consistently an elite option at the NFL’s most important position and ranks near the top of the NFL in completions, yards, and touchdowns, with a top-10 mark in rushing yards by a quarterback.
Mahomes is flanked by elite pass-catchers in Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, both of whom rank in the top ten of the NFL in myriad categories, and the Giants could be vulnerable on both sides of the ball. New York is No. 25 in scoring offense and No. 23 in scoring defense, ranking near the bottom of the league in categories like rushing yards, touchdown passes, yards per carry and red zone efficiency. With Kansas City’s talent advantage, sense of urgency and home-field edge, the Chiefs project to excel in this matchup.
How to make Chiefs vs. Giants picks
Hartstein has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he’s leaning under the total, he has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing what it is, and who to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Giants vs. Chiefs? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Hartstein’s Giants vs. Chiefs pick, all from the NFL expert who’s 18-5 on picks involving Kansas City, and find out
