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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Dan Benton

Giants vs. Cardinals: Week 2 staff picks and predictions

The New York Giants (0-1) will take on the Arizona Cardinals (0-1) this Sunday afternoon at State Farm Stadium in their second game of the 2023 regular season.

Opening the week, the Giants were 4.5-point road favorites but that spread has dipped a bit since then. As of this writing, New York is -4.

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How does the Giants Wire staff see this Week 2 battle shaking out? Here’s a look at our picks and score predictions:

Dan Benton: Giants 19, Cardinals 17

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Frankly, after that horrid Week 1 display, I don’t see this game playing out the way many “experts” seem to. Sure, the Cardinals sport a lacking roster as they dive head-first into a complete rebuild but the Giants just aren’t good right now. They are incapable of being good thanks to some of the worst offensive line play you’ll ever see, lacking team depth and injuries that they can never seem to escape. I do think they’ll pick up the win on Sunday, but it will come in an ugly, low-scoring affair that comes down to the final seconds.

John Fennelly: Giants 20, Cardinals 17

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants will bounce back (sort of) with a no-so-pretty win over a bad team. They will still struggle, however, as their offensive line remains a mess. The defense will step up and make stops when needed in this one, just enough to get the win. No sense in going over statistical data as there is little to draw from on both sides. It promises to be an ugly watch on Sunday. Take the win and move on …to San Francisco four days later. Ouch.

Tyler Henry: Giants 31, Cardinals 16

Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

I am expecting a full throttle get-right game for Big Blue this week. Even if you expected the Giants to lose Week 1 like I did, nobody could have foreseen a 40-0 blowout, on home turf, under the lights for Sunday Night Football. I believed the Giants are much better than they showed in Week 1. They looked uninspired and unprepared. Uncharacteristic of a team lead by reining coach of the year Brian Daboll.

I think Daboll will have his team fired up and ready to go in what has become a crucial game given the challenging schedule ahead. I expect the Giants to run the ball early and often and control the tempo of the game. On defense, I’d expect a better showing as long as they aren’t playing from behind again.

I think the Giants pull away early in the fourth quarter and get the job done to improve to 1-1 on the season.

Kevin Hickey: Giants 20, Cardinals 16

Rob Carr/Getty Images

We’re going to learn how strong the character of this locker room his right off the bat. After the incredibly embarrassing loss on national television in Week 1, the Giants have a chance to prove they have some fight in them. This is the epitome of a get-right game for Brian Daboll’s squad. The Cardinals are the inferior team at almost every level, but the NFL brings surprises every week. We should expect big games from Saquon Barkley and Dexter Lawrence, especially since Josh Dobbs will be under center for Arizona. If the Giants can’t pull this one out, trouble will be brewing.

Jeevan Kirkland: Giants 23, Cardinals 16

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants get a chance at a much-needed win in Glendale on Sunday. After what seemed to be a season defining loss the Giants will have the opportunity to bounce back against what looks to be like the worst team in the NFL. Brian Daboll & Co. should return to form and cause havoc for the inexperienced Cardinals team. While the offensive woes do not magically go away, Big Blue still scores enough to get by in this contest.

Serena Burks: Cardinals 20, Giants 10

AP Photo/Steve Luciano

The Giants aren’t doing much to give us confidence in them so far this year. It seems like the players aren’t all on the same page right now, which really doesn’t bode well for a road game. Still, I think the Giants figure something out and manage to score points this week. The Cardinals, meanwhile, also lost last week, but they at least put some points on the board, losing by just four points. They may be without their star QB for a few weeks, but there’s still fire in their bellies.

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