NY Giants set to end dismal season on a sour note

Best handicap bet
Washington at New York Giants 6pm
The NFL regular season closes this week and there are plenty of potential traps for punters to fall into when players could be plying their trade at varying levels of commitment.

For some, their eyes will be on the post-season and potential Super Bowl glory, particularly if their place in the playoffs has already been assured, while others will just want the whole sorry episode to be over as quickly as possible.

Changes will be taken for coaches to test second-string talent - Kansas City give rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes a runout against Denver, for example - but for the teams at the bottom one eye will be kept on any connotations for April's draft.

One team that applies to is the New York Giants, who have had a dismal campaign, winning just two of their 15 matches, which means, as it stands, they will get second pick of the top college talent.

They host Washington in their final game having lost their last eight matches, but they could be leapfrogged in the draft order if they win and Indianapolis lose to Houston.

So apart from saving a bit of face and ending the campaign on a high, they have little to gain from victory over the Redskins.

Washington beat the Giants 20-10 in Week 12 and have won three of their last five matches, and even though those successes were all on their own patch, they can seal a closing win.

Five of their seven wins have come against teams with losing records and they can add another scalp to their list.

Best points bet
Over 13.5 Chicago points at Minnesota 6pm
Chicago have not had a brilliant season but their five victories at least represents and improvement on last year's dismal tally of three and they have been able to provide quarterback Mitchell Trubisky with plenty of experience under little pressure.

And with Minnesota having little to play for with the second seeding in the NFC playoffs virtually assured, there is potential for the Bears to score at least 14 points against their divisional rivals.

The Vikings possess one of the strongest defences in the league and the Bears have averaged a tally of just 16.9 points per game, the fourth-worst mark in the league.

However, they have failed to eclipsed the 13.5-point line in just four of their 15 matches this season so they are worth chancing considering the relative insignificance that the game will have on Minnesota's season.

Best player bet
M Jones to score a touchdown for Detroit v Green Bay 6pm
The other two teams in the NFC North, Detroit and Green Bay, have seen their playoff hopes evaporate but there is still scope for Lions' wide receiver Marvin Jones to make a big impression at Ford Field.

The Packers have struggled since quarterback Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone, but they may struggle on the other side of the ball against Jones, who boasts a decent record against them and plays for a team whose offence is concentrated on the passing game.

Jones has scored four touchdowns in three outings against the Packers, including two scores when the teams meet at Lambeau Field in Week Nine, and he could be in for another fruitful outings against a team who have conceded a total of five touchdowns to receivers in their last five matches.

Recommendations
Washington -3 at NY Giants
2pts 5-6 general
Over 13.5 Chicago points at Minnesota
2pts Evs Betfair, Paddy Power
M Jones to score a TD for Detroit v Green Bay
2pts 6-4 Betfair

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