Forget Eli’s interceptions; pick Giants over Cowboys

On the rare occasions when the sun peeks through the clouds here, it never seems to shine on Eli Manning these days. The forecast for this weekend calls for cold temperatures with about a 60 percent chance of another New York Giants loss.

The Giants have dropped five games in a row, their last win coming Oct. 5, and Manning is coming off a five-interception game.

The cliches about must-win situations and backs-to-the-wall spots no longer apply. Playoffs? The Giants (3-7) are just trying to get a win or two and escape the cellar in the NFC East.

Tom Coughlin needs to finish on somewhat of a positive note to ensure he returns to coach another season.

On the flip side, the Dallas Cowboys’ stars are shining. DeMarco Murray is the NFL’s leading rusher with 1,233 yards. Tony Romo, the quarterback with the broken back, is toughing it out. Diva wide receiver Dez Bryant wants the ball and a big contract.

Jason Garrett is coaching with job security, and Jerry Jones continues to be the only owner who holds news conferences before and after every game. Jones is getting the last laugh, though, because most of us expected the Cowboys (7-3) to be a bad joke this season.

That was a long setup for this punchline: I like Manning and the Giants as 3½-point home underdogs to the Cowboys on Sunday night.

Manning has not been sharp, but too many of the Giants’ failures have been heaped on his slumping shoulders. The defense deserves a lot of blame, and new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo implemented a lame system that essentially sabotaged the season. On top of that, McAdoo is no play-calling wizard.

The Giants, swept by the Cowboys last season, competed in the first meeting this season, a 31-21 loss at Dallas in mid-October. Coughlin will get them to compete again in this prime-time spot.

“I believe he will bounce back,” Coughlin said this week of Manning, whose five-pick fiasco crippled the Giants in a 16-10 loss to San Francisco a week ago. It was a game New York was in position to win.

Five times in his career, Manning has thrown at least four interceptions. But the Giants went 4-1 in the next game. On top of that, the Cowboys, known for late-season fades, are showing signs of losing steam.

Four more opinions for Week 12 (home team in CAPS):

■ PATRIOTS (-7) over Lions: New England has six straight wins and is 5-1 against the spread since the beginning of October. During that stretch, the Patriots scored 43, 37, 27, 51, 43 and 42 points against mostly quality opponents. Detroit’s defense is stout, but Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski seem nearly unstoppable at this point. The Patriots, hunting for the AFC’s top seed, smell blood in the water.

■ VIKINGS (+9½) over Packers: It’s tough to bet against Aaron Rodgers, the best quarterback in the league right now. Green Bay has scored a total of 108 points in the past two weeks, but those games were at Lambeau Field, and this is a look-ahead spot with New England up next week. Minnesota is a gritty underdog capable of hanging close.

■ Buccaneers (+6) over BEARS: Go with the better quarterback. Tampa Bay’s Josh McCown, red hot last season when replacing Jay Cutler in Chicago, lit up the Washington defense last week with help from rookie wide receiver Mike Evans. It’s also a big game for former Bears coach Lovie Smith. Chicago is 2-8-2 ATS in its past 12 home games, with McCown’s spectacular performance in bad weather carrying the Bears to one of those covers last season.

■ SAINTS (-3½) over Ravens: This is the second game of a Monday doubleheader, and I wish the NFL would play two every Monday. New Orleans needs to stop a two-game home losing skid. Before losses to the 49ers and Bengals, Saints coach Sean Payton was on 20-0 straight-up and 18-1-1 spread runs at home, and quarterback Drew Brees had won 11 straight in the Superdome. In their most recent prime-time home spot one month ago, the Saints pounded the Packers 44-23.

Last week: 4-1 against the spread

Season: 30-23-2

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports betting columnist Matt Youmans can be reached at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts “The Las Vegas Sportsline” weekdays at 2 p.m. on ESPN Radio (1100 AM). Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.