New York at San Francisco

There is no doubt that the San Francisco 49ers have been anointed the chosen ones through the first five weeks of the NFL season. That has gotten a boost off of a pair of manhandling wins where they outscored their opponents 79-3. But before we start handing out their Super Bowl rings, remember that this team lost rather convincingly 24-13 to the Minnesota Vikings just three games back. I don't want to diminish the fact that the Niners are 4-1 and have looked scarily good over the last two weeks, but that level is unsustainable in this league and they are far from invincible. The Giants have a knack for playing to the level of their competition. They seem to struggle vs. bad teams, but take off vs. the very good ones. In fact, New York is 89-2 ATS the past two seasons vs. winning teams. This is the type of game that brings out the best in them. The Giants are 30-14 ATS in their last 44 in the role of an underdog, and have gone 24-20 straight-up in those games. That includes 25-11 ATS when they are on the road in their last 36, with an amazing 22-14 straight-up mark in the 36 games with an average line of +4.5 or more. The bottom line here is whatever you have used to gauge the Giants this year it doesn't apply. They will play at a higher level to a big number and they have the offense to score on this stingy Niners defense. I know San Francisco is seeking revenge here from last season, but with Alex Smith's thumb in question and this line being inflated thanks to the public's love of this 49ers team, the Giants are the way to go.