New York Giants vs. New England Patriots

Why New York Will Win: The defense is pass rushing well enough right now that even Tom Brady is going to have trouble getting it to receivers fast enough. Manningham, Cruz, and Nicks create huge mismatches against the Patriot defense. Their coverage teams are better than the Patriots.

Why New York Will Lose: Their linebacker play is still spotty, which makes beating the Patriots difficult. There are some genuine concerns about whether or not their running game is going to hold up here, especially when Brandon Jacobs is in the game. Emotionally, at this point, they are spent.

Why New England Will Win: When they’re on, they can just overwhelm teams offensively, especially with Welker and those tight ends. They’ve been getting progressively better on defense all playoffs. Petty revenge is a powerful motivator in the NFL.

Why New England Will Lose: If Gronkowski is more hurt than they’re letting on, the Patriot’s offense becomes much less powerful. They’re better on defense, but a good quarterback like Manning can still pick them apart. This team is not as good as the one the Giants embarassed in 2008.

Prediction: New York 31, New England 27

All the momentum seems to be going the Giant’s way right now, and I think that continues here. New England can’t cover all the Giant’s options, and while i think the same is true about the Giants, ultimately, have a better defense and more offense right now. As weird as it sounds, considering their history and talent, I can’t envision a scenario right now where the Patriots win this game.