The San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants will face off at MetLife Stadium in New York on Sunday. An injury-plagued 49ers squad limped to a win last week and a 1-1 record. With injury concerns of their own, the Giants are 0-2. Kickoff is set for 1 pm Eastern.
49ers Concerned with Playing Conditions
In a win over the Jets last weekend, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo sprained his ankle and had to leave the game. They also lost Nick Bosa, Solomon Thomas, Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert, and DJ Jones all suffered injuries in the game against the Jets. Now, the team is concerned about returning to the playing surface.
San Francisco has voiced concerns to the league about the sticky turf they believe played a role in all of their injuries.
“I noticed it during pregame, for sure,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “The cleats were more — it seemed like it was a little stickier. The turf was kind of spongy.”
They will have to return to the same field for this game against the Giants. Garoppolo has been ruled out, and Nick Mullins will be under center instead. Mullins started eight games for the 49ers in the 2018 season, also following an injury to Garoppolo.
The three other teams in the NFC West have yet to lose a game. San Francisco will need to fight through early adversity to stay competitive if they hope to return to the Super Bowl again this year.
Giants Without Barkley
Giants fans and fantasy owners were disappointed with the news of Saquon Barkley tearing his ACL. He will be out for the rest of the season.
New York’s new head coach, Joe Judge, is still looking for his first win.
“We’re not going to raise the white flag on anything,” Judge said. “Our guys are going to fight straight on through. We have a job to do regardless of the circumstance or outcome of the previous game.”
He also said that none of his players have complained about the turf at MetLife Stadium and that the 49ers are the only ones who see the turf as an issue.
Daniel Jones has thrown for 520 yards so far this season, including two touchdowns and three interceptions. The Giants are only averaging 14.5 points per game, which has to improve if this team will have any success.
Someone has to step up and fill the hole created by losing Barkley. The Giants scooped up free agent Devonta Freeman, who will split the workload with Dion Lewis.
Free Pick
Despite all the injuries, the 49ers are coming into this one as 3.5-point favorites. San Francisco’s moneyline is at -190, while the Giants are at +170.
New York wasn’t a great team with Barkley. They are young and are a few years away from being consistent playoff contenders. Without Barkley, Giants fans will hope for more growth from Jones as they anticipate another Top 10 pick in the Draft.
The 49ers aren’t playing like the same team that made it to the Super Bowl last year. However, they are much better than the Giants. The talent outweighs the injury losses.
I’m taking the 49ers to cover the 3.5-point spread. Good Luck!