The New England Patriots will face stiff competition one day. But that day is not Thursday.
The Patriots opened at SuperBook USA as whopping 16.5-point favorites over the Giants in Week 6, which makes sense considering New York is on the road facing the best defense in the NFL and could be without Saquon Barkley, Wayne Gallman, Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram.
That's the fourth time this season New England has opened as a double-digit favorite. But this spread is particularly notable, for two reasons.
First, it's the biggest point spread of any NFL game played on a Thursday, according to Pro Football Reference. Ironically, the previous record also was held by the Giants, who were 15-point underdogs to the Dallas Cowboys in 1992.
As you can see, those lines traditionally have been accurate, as only one team favored by 14 points or more in a Thursday game failed to cover.
Here's part two: The Giants will be the biggest underdogs in franchise history Thursday night against the Patriots, as they've never been more than 15.5-point underdogs, per Pro Football Reference.
These results are slightly more concerning for New England fans (and bettors): New York has covered its massive spread six times in 10 instances when it's a 13-point underdog or greater.
Bill Belichick and the Patriots will tell you they're not taking the Giants lightly. But considering New England has won four of its five games by at least 16 points, there's a good chance we see another blowout at Gillette Stadium.
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