Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Giants: Week 2 Predictions, Picks and Odds 9/17/23

The Arizona Cardinals are projected to be the worst team in the NFL this season, but they looked much better than their Week 2 opponent, the New York Giants, in their respective openers.

The Giants were blasted by the Dallas Cowboys, 40-0, while Arizona dropped a winnable game to the Washington Commanders, 20-16.

Despite the disparate showings in Week 1, the oddsmakers have not been swayed from their preseason thoughts, as the Giants are solid favorites in this matchup. Here are the betting odds for this Week 2 matchup, per BetMGM on the morning of September 14:

Spread: Giants -5.5
Moneyline: Giants -250; Cardinals +200
Over/Under: 40 points

New York made the playoffs a season ago and has the talent advantage, but the oddsmakers could be underestimating Arizona’s ability to keep this close.

The Cardinals’ defense looked fantastic in the opener and another solid showing could mean a second straight cover of the spread, and maybe more.

Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Giants Prediction

A simple question needs to be answered heading into this prediction: Is Arizona’s solid start sustainable, and are the Giants in trouble?

While both sides are going to regress closer to expectations moving forward, there are things we can glean from the openers.

The coaching in Arizona looked good despite serious inexperience on the sideline, and the defense played really well against Washington quarterback Sam Howell.

Daniel Jones is more experienced and more talented, but he’s definitely mistake-prone. I don’t think the Arizona defensive line will play as well as it did against the Commanders, but the secondary can lead the way and make life tough on the New York passing game.

On the flip-side, the Giants are better than what they showed against the Cowboys, but I have a hard time believing this will be a playoff team again. Star tight end Darren Waller is already dealing with a hamstring injury and I have questions about the offense for the Giants.

The Cardinals could very well go a long stretch without winning a game after this contest, but I think they get this one at home.

Prediction: Cardinals 19, Giants 17

How to Watch Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Giants

The Arizona Cardinals will host the New York Giants on Sunday, September 17th, 2023 at 4:05 p.m. ET. This Week 2 matchup can be seen on FOX.

Prop Bet Odds and Pick: Arizona Cardinals WR Hollywood Brown Over/Under 43.5 Receiving Yards

Marquise Brown did not get off to a good start statistically in the season opener, catching just three passes for 28 yards. However, he did have a 29-yard rush and showcased his elite speed by hitting 20.17 miles per hour on that run, 12th-fastest in the NFL in Week 1.

Brown is the clear-cut best player among the Cardinals’ skill group and should see a heavier workload against New York.

The Cardinals were ahead for most of their Week 1 matchup against the Washington Commanders, which made for a conservative passing attack. It could be a different story in this game depending on game script.

Additionally, quarterback Joshua Dobbs averaged a measly 4.4 yards per pass attempt in Washington. The Cardinals aren’t going to have a vaunted downfield passing attack until Kyler Murray returns from injury, but I expect them to manufacture touches for Brown, which should help him surpass this number.

Prediction: Hollywood Brown Over 43.5 Receiving Yards (-120)