Wagerers find Giants reliable

Several components combine to make the New York Giants so tough to stop, and running back Brandon Jacobs is one of them.

While quarterback Eli Manning and coach Tom Coughlin get most of the praise -- and troubled wide receiver Plaxico Burress grabs headlines for the wrong reasons -- a sometimes-overlooked factor in the Giants' success is Jacobs and their power running attack.

"The Giants are playing on a level that is above every other team in the NFL," handicapper Joseph D'Amico said.

New York is a 61/2-point home favorite over the Philadelphia Eagles today. The line is 7 at some sports books.

D'Amico said his top play of the week is on the Giants, who are 11-1 straight up and 10-2 against the spread.

New York has been a point-spread cash machine by covering seven games in a row, including five consecutive covers against NFC East opponents and four consecutive covers at home.

Jacobs, a 264-pound wrecking ball, is eighth in the league with 950 yards rushing. He has 12 touchdowns and is gaining 5.1 yards per carry. He rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns in the Giants' 36-31 victory at Philadelphia on Nov. 9.

The absence of Burress did not bother the Giants last week as Manning passed for 305 yards in a 23-7 victory at Washington.

"The Giants own the top-ranked scoring offense in the league, averaging 29.3 points, and they are the league's top rushing team with Jacobs doing a lot of the dirty work," D'Amico said. "They also have a smothering defense."

The Giants have covered four straight against the Eagles, who are hoping to rally down the stretch behind quarterback Donovan McNabb.

D'Amico said while Philadelphia running back Brian Westbrook is a "dangerous weapon," the New York defense allows only 85.4 rushing yards per game.

D'Amico breaks down the rest of today's Week 14 games:

• Cincinnati at Indianapolis (-131/2): The Bengals' offense is last in the NFL in scoring (12.6 points per game) and yards (232.4). The Colts have won five straight since getting their offense healthy, but all five were decided by six points or fewer. Indianapolis will be without middle linebacker Gary Brackett and most likely will miss safety Bob Sanders. In the absence of those two key defenders, Cincinnati's running backs can control the clock. The Colts are 1-6 against the spread in their past seven games at home. They will win, but not by two touchdowns, so take the underdog.

• Jacksonville at Chicago (-61/2): The Bears (6-6) still are very much alive in the NFC North, while Jacksonville is done for the season. Chicago rookie running back Matt Forte, who has 1,012 yards rushing, is a rising star and will wreak havoc on a Jaguars defense that allows 115 yards per game on the ground. Quarterback Kyle Orton will have a lot of time to exploit a depleted Jaguars defense. The Bears will cover and stay in the playoff hunt.

• Houston at Green Bay (-6): Aside from a narrow victory over Minnesota in Week 1, the Packers' other four victories have been by double digits. They rank fifth in scoring offense (27.8 points per game) and Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 2,897 yards with 20 touchdowns. Green Bay is 7-1 in its past eight games against teams with a losing record. Lay the points.

• Cleveland at Tennessee (-131/2): The Titans are 10-2 against the spread this season and 7-1 against the spread in their past eight games against AFC opponents. The Browns are forced to start No. 3 quarterback Ken Dorsey, and tight end Kellen Winslow is out. Tennessee's running game will dominate. Chris Johnson and LenDale White have combined for 1,533 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns, and they are facing a Browns defense yielding 141.2 rushing yards per game. The Titans keep rolling.

• Minnesota (-10) at Detroit: With their remaining games against Vikings, Colts, Saints and Packers, the Lions have a great shot at being the first NFL team to go 0-16. Detroit is 0-6 against the spread at home, losing by an average 23.8 points. The Lions rank at the bottom of just about every defensive category, and now they must contend with the league's No. 4 rushing offense, led by Adrian Peterson with 1,311 yards and nine TDs. With games remaining against the Cardinals, Falcons and Giants, the Vikings need this guaranteed win, and they should cover.

• Washington at Baltimore (-5): The Redskins have lost three of their past four games, in which they scored only four touchdowns. Banged-up running back Clinton Portis has gone five games without a touchdown. The Ravens' defense allows only 15.8 points per game and ranks second against the pass (175.1 yards per game) and third against the run (78.2). While the Washington defense has been solid, Baltimore rookie QB Joe Flacco (12 touchdowns, 61 percent completions) seems to get better with each week. The spread is low and the Ravens are the play.

• Atlanta at New Orleans (-3): These teams met four weeks ago and the Falcons won, 34-20. Drew Brees threw three interceptions in that game, but the Saints have the NFL's top passing offense. New Orleans' defense allows 25.1 points and 114 yards rushing per game. The Falcons' defense gives up only 20.2 points per game, and their offense is flying high. QB Matt Ryan plays like anything but a rookie, and has thrown only one interception over his past five games. Michael Turner heads up the league's No. 2 rushing offense. With Reggie Bush struggling, New Orleans' offense is more one-dimensional. Take the Falcons and the points.

• N.Y. Jets (-4) at San Francisco: The Jets have won four of five against the spread and five of six straight up. They are 7-2 against the spread in their past nine road games. The 49ers are 3-7 against the spread in their past 10 against teams with a winning record. The Jets had won five straight, averaging 33.8 points, before cooling off a bit last week in a loss to Denver. The Jets and their eighth-ranked running game will control the tempo and give Brett Favre time to pick apart the 49ers' 28th-ranked pass defense. New York covers and stays atop the AFC East.

• Miami vs. Buffalo (-1) at Toronto: This one is difficult to handicap. These are division rivals with similar records (Miami is 7-5, Buffalo 6-6). The Dolphins have won five of six but covered in only two of those. The Bills are 2-5 straight up and against the spread in their past seven. There are too many question marks here, and I'm staying away.

• Kansas City at Denver (-9): The Chiefs are 10-3 against the spread in their past 13 road games. These teams met in September, with Kansas City winning, 33-19. That was the last big day running back Larry Johnson had this season. He tore up the Denver defense for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Since then he has only 242 yards on 57 carries. Denver once had the best home-field advantage in the NFL, but it has lost three straight at home while failing to cover five in a row at home. Kansas City clearly has an adequate offense with quarterback Tyler Thigpen and Johnson in the backfield. But the Chiefs are vulnerable to Jay Cutler and the Denver passing game. Kansas City keeps it close.

• St. Louis at Arizona (-14): Even with the return of running back Steven Jackson, the Rams show me very little. Against the spread, they are 2-8 in their past 10 games against the NFC, 4-12 in their past 16 against teams with winning records and 3-7 against Arizona. The Cards slammed St. Louis 34-13 on Nov. 2. Arizona's offense ranks third in scoring (28.2) and has the NFL's best receiving corps with Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. This will get ugly. The Cardinals cover again.

• Dallas at Pittsburgh (-3): The Cowboys are a different team with Tony Romo at quarterback. Pittsburgh ranks No. 1 in the NFL in defense, but its offense is sputtering and Ben Roethlisberger has been bothered by injuries more than we are led to believe. The Steelers' offensive line has allowed 36 sacks and must contend with a Dallas defense that had seven sacks against Seattle last week. The Romo-Terrell Owens connection has had success with 17 completions in the past three games. They will be the difference in this one, with the Cowboys winning outright.

• New England (-61/2) at Seattle: The Seahawks are 1-5 straight up at home and they are banged up on both sides of the ball. They have been outscored 127-72 during their five-game losing streak. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and left guard Walter Jones are doubtful. Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel took a beating last week against Pittsburgh, but won't have to face that type of blitz this week. Coach Bill Belichick doesn't take defeat well and will have his troops ready. The Pats are the play.

Compiled by Review-Journal sportswriter Matt Youmans.