Top 4 Picks for NFL Thursday Night Football: Giants vs. 49ers (Week 3)

by Phil Wood |
Sep 21, 2023

The New York Giants travel to California as massive underdogs against the San Francisco 49ers. Here are our best bets and predictions for â€œThursday Night Football.â€

Week 3â€™s Best Thursday Night Football Bets

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

San Francisco 49ers -10 (-110)

This almost feels like a trap. If this would have opened at 14, it still would have been a play on the 49ers. So, why is the spread just 10 points between two teams that are so unevenly matched?

Without an answer to that question, we're simply taking the much better team to dominate in a game they should have no trouble dominating. For six quarters, the Giants looked like the worst team in football. They mounted a nice comeback in Week 2, but they never should have been trailing the lowly Arizona Cardinals by 21 in the first place.

The Giants have yet to rule out Saquon Barkley. Yet, whether he plays or not, the 49ers' defense is too good for the Giants' offense, especially that terrible offensive line. This is a game that the 49ers should win by close to 20 points.

Jason Hargrave Over 0.75 Sacks (+130)

Daniel Jones has been sacked 10 times in his first two games. While seven of those sacks came in Week 1, he was still sacked three times last week by a weak Cardinals' defensive front. The 49ers are going to do a number on Jones this week.

We fully expect Nick Bosa to record a sack, but the price for him to do so is simply too expensive. Therefore, we're going with Jason Hargrave. He recorded a sack in the season-opener after amassing 11 a season ago.

He didn't record any sacks against the Giants last season, but this offensive line has looked much worse in 2023 than in 2022. They won't be able to stop him or any of the 49ers' pass rushers. We wouldn't be surprised to see him end this game with multiple sacks.

Christian McCaffrey Over 100 Rushing Yards (+185)

Christian McCaffreyâ€™s over of 80.5 is the easy bet of the night. Take it. But because this number is nowhere near where it should be, we also recommend taking an alternative rushing line. The Giants are allowing 136.5 rushing yards per game this season. McCaffrey has rushed for 268 yards and at least 116 in both of his games so far.

CMC played every single offensive snap in Week 2, and there is no reason to think he won't play at least 95% of snaps through the first three-quarters of this game. The only reason to take this under is if you fear McCaffrey will come out of the game because the 49ers are winning by so much.

George Kittle Anytime Touchdown (+175)

George Kittle has done very little this season. He has just six catches for 49 yards thus far, but he could be in for a big night on Thursday. Brandon Aiyuk is dealing with a shoulder injury, and he was a limited participant in practice on Tuesday. If he is unable to go, that opens up opportunities for the star tight end.

Last week, the Giants allowed six catches for 56 yards to Zach Ertz. If they continue to struggle to cover the tight end position, then Kittle will wreak havoc on this defense. Though we wish this price were a bit higher, the 49ers will score often in this one. Of all their offensive weapons with a viable chance to score, he has the best odds.

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:

Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.

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