The Washington Commanders (0-1) host the visiting New York Giants (0-1) in Week 2 of the 2024-25 NFL season for an NFC East clash between two teams in search of their first win of the year. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM EST on September 15th at Northwest Stadium.
There wasn’t a lot to celebrate for either of these two teams following Week 1, as the Giants lost 28-6 at home to Minnesota while Washington fell 37-20 on the road against Tampa Bay. Neither offense found a lot of success in the first half of those eventual losses, combining for a total of just ten points.
The slow starts combined with a lack of defensive consistency is something that will need to be addressed immediately moving forward if either franchise hopes to avoid the basement of a tough NFC East division.
Matchup Details, Betting Market Information and Where to Watch
Oddsmakers opened this game up with the Commanders listed as three-point home favorites. The spread hasn’t moved around all that much after early betting, as Washington is currently available at -2 on most sportsbooks. The total for this matchup is 42.5 points. Viewers hoping to watch the game should note that it will be televised exclusively on the FOX Sports Network. In Canada, the game will also be available on DAZN.
New York Giants Offense Looks Dreadful In Loss to Vikings
It was an abysmal performance across the board for New York in Week 1, as the team failed to find the end zone for four consecutive quarters en route to a 28-6 beatdown at home. QB Daniel Jones was nothing short of atrocious, throwing for just 186 yards on 42 attempts through the air while also getting picked off twice. It was also a tough outing for the New York rushing attack, as RB Devin Singletary managed just 37 yards out of the backfield in the Giants first outing in the post Saquon Barkley era.
Rookie receiver Malik Nabers led the way for New York in the passing, hauling in five receptions for 66 yards. Wan’Dale Robinson also made an impact, making six catches for 44 yards on a team-high 12 targets. However, a large percentage of the throws from Jones were short plays near the line of scrimmage, which has to change at some point this season if the Giants have any hope of stretching the field and finding a way to keep pace with opposing offenses.
On the other side of the ball, New York struggled to slow down Vikings RB Aaron Jones on the ground, surrendering almost 100 yards and a touchdown. However, they did do an above average job containing star wideout Justin Jefferson, limiting him to only four catches for 59 yards and a touchdown.
Washington Commanders Fall to Bucs Despite Decent Debut From Jayden Daniels
The Commanders fell behind early in Tampa Bay and never recovered, coming up on the wrong end of a 37-20 decision to start the season. Rookie sensation Jayden Daniels flashed signs of brilliance in his first career NFL start, running for 88 yards and two touchdowns on the ground while also going 17/24 through the air for 184 total passing yards.
Veteran WR Terry McLaurin had a game to forget, making just two receptions for 17 yards. Many expected the addition of Daniels at quarterback to pay immediate dividends for “Scary Terry”, so it will be interesting to see if and when the chemistry will improve during the next month of the regular season.
Newly acquired Austin Ekeler led the way for the Commanders passing attack, registering four catches for 52 yards out of the backfield. RB Brian Robinson Jr. scored the only other touchdown of the game for Washington, finding pay dirt on one of his 12 carries for 40 total rushing yards.
There were a ton of issues on the back end for the Commanders to start the year, as the secondary got torched by Baker Mayfield and Co. for 289 yards and four touchdowns. Things weren’t a lot better for Washington defending against the run, as rookie Bucky Irving averaged 6.9 yards per carry on the ground and Rachaad White caught six passes for 75 yards out of the backfield.
Our Giants vs Commanders NFL Betting Prediction and Pick
It certainly is difficult to get overly excited about siding with either of these two teams here in Week 2, as both squads looked dreadful in multiple different aspects of the game during their Week 1 losses. However, Washington was able to get at least a little bit of momentum going on offense in the second half against the Bucs, scoring two touchdowns in the second half.
It’s hard to imagine the Giants turning things around on offense any time soon, as even strong play from Malik Nabers can’t make up for poor quarterback play from Jones and a severe lack of depth in the backfield behind Singletary.
Against the Spread Betting Market Tip: Commanders -2
With the spread now sitting below a full field goal and the Commanders playing at home on Sunday, I think taking a shot with Washington is the optimal play in this particular spot. While I certainly won’t be going out of my way to make a bet on this matchup, I do think that the home team’s advantage on offense should enable them to grind out an ugly cover.
Jayden Daniels showed that he is ready to make an impact at the NFL-level right away during the opening weekend, while the duo of Ekeler and Robinson Jr. gives the Commanders a nice one-two punch out of the backfield. They also have McLaurin and Ertz to provide at least a couple of half decent options for Daniels when he wants to move the ball through the air. On the Giants side, Jones will likely continue to struggle despite having several capable receivers due to his inability to consistently make throws more than 20 yards downfield. I’ll take my chances with Washington in this one – give me the Commanders to cover at home!
