Monday Night Football closes out Week 2 with two teams coming off dramatically different season openers, as the Los Angeles Rams host the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium.
Check out our NFL tips for the Giants at Rams below, and why not sign up to a new betting site to place your bets this weekend!
NFL 2026-27 Week 2: New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams Betting Tips
Tuesday September 22nd, 10:15am AEST
Los Angeles return home at 0–1 after their highly anticipated trip to Melbourne turned into a disaster. The Rams were beaten 27-7 by San Francisco, managing just one touchdown and looking every bit like a team that had arrived in Australia barely a day before kick-off. New York, meanwhile, opened the John Harbaugh era with an impressive 28-20 victory over Dallas, controlling possession and looking far more polished offensively than many expected.
The Rams have won the past four meetings between these teams, but they have not played since New Year’s Eve 2023. With different coaches, quarterbacks and rosters involved across that stretch, there isn’t much value in that historical dominance when assessing this game.
More interesting is the betting market. The look-ahead line had Los Angeles around -8.5, and despite completely contrasting Week 1 performances, the Rams remain as high as 7.5-point favourites. That hasn’t moved far enough for me.
The Rams could certainly bounce back at home, but after travelling approximately halfway around the world and back while losing Myles Garrett to injury, asking them to win by more than a touchdown against a Giants team that looked excellent in Week 1 feels excessive.
Los Angeles Rams
There isn’t much positive to take from the Rams’ opening week performance.
Los Angeles fell 27-7 against San Francisco at the MCG, with the game getting away from them completely after halftime. It was only 10-7 at the break, but San Francisco scored the final 17 points as Los Angeles struggled to generate any sustained offensive rhythm.
Matthew Stafford finished with just 155 passing yards and an interception, while the Rams managed only two drives Stafford himself described as particularly productive. The biggest moment came when Los Angeles were stopped on fourth and goal from the one-yard line before San Francisco responded with a 99-yard touchdown drive that effectively broke the game open.
Whether the unusual travel schedule contributed is impossible to quantify precisely, but the contrast was obvious. San Francisco arrived a week early; Los Angeles arrived roughly a day before kick-off. The Rams looked sluggish as the game progressed and now have to travel all the way back to California before preparing for Monday night.
There is also a major personnel concern. Myles Garrett will undergo knee surgery and has been placed on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least the next four games. Garrett played only 62% of the defensive snaps in Melbourne and admitted afterwards that he was struggling physically.
Aaron Donald is planning to make his return this week, which obviously helps, but this remains a defensive front losing its marquee offseason addition immediately after an exhausting overseas trip.
New York Giants
The Giants could hardly have asked for a better start. New York defeated Dallas 28-20, controlling the football for more than 36 minutes and producing 394 total yards in an impressive first game under John Harbaugh.
Jaxson Dart was outstanding. The second-year quarterback completed 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns, while adding another 54 rushing yards. Perhaps most importantly, an offensive line that entered the season with significantly higher expectations kept him remarkably clean and helped New York rush for 165 yards.
Isaiah Likely was excellent on debut with eight catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns, while Cam Skattebo ran for 81 yards and a score.
There was also a promising return from Malik Nabers. Playing his first regular season game since tearing his ACL, Nabers caught six of nine targets for 69 yards. He later admitted he felt rusty and believed he left additional yardage on the field, which is encouraging given he still led the Giants in targets immediately upon returning.
One strong performance doesn’t suddenly make New York a contender, but the Giants looked organised, physical, and considerably improved.
Match Prediction
I think the market is still rating these teams too heavily on preseason expectations rather than what we learned in Week 1. The look ahead number was approximately Rams -8.5.
After Los Angeles were comprehensively beaten and New York produced one of the more impressive performances of opening weekend, the Rams can still be found laying 7.5 points. That isn’t enough adjustment for me.
There are three major factors.
1) The Giants offensive line looks significantly improved
This was one of New York’s biggest weaknesses in recent seasons, but Week 1 provided an encouraging early indication that things have changed. Dallas failed to register a pressure or quarterback hit, allowing Dart to operate comfortably and the running game to remain on schedule.
Facing Los Angeles is a tougher assignment, particularly if Donald returns, but Garrett’s absence matters enormously.
The Rams acquired Garrett to transform this pass rush. Instead, he is undergoing surgery after one game and Los Angeles must restructure the front immediately.
If New York can give Dart anything resembling the protection he received against Dallas, this offense has enough weapons to move the football.
2) The travel concern doesn’t disappear immediately
The Rams’ Australian experience should not be treated as an excuse for everything that went wrong. They chose their preparation strategy, and San Francisco simply outplayed them.
But the physical impact of flying from Los Angeles to Melbourne and back within such a short period is still relevant when handicapping the following game.
The Rams now have the benefit of a longer turnaround and are playing at home on Monday night, but body clock disruption and travel fatigue do not necessarily disappear the moment the plane lands.
Against a Giants team that didn’t travel internationally and looked physically sharp in Week 1, that is another small edge towards the underdog.
3) More than a touchdown provides room to be wrong
I still think Los Angeles are more likely to win this game. Stafford, Sean McVay, Puka Nacua and the broader Rams roster deserve considerably more respect than one horrible performance warrants.
But that’s different from asking them to win by eight.
The Giants don’t need to prove Week 1 was completely sustainable. They just need to remain competitive, and based on the improved offensive line, Dart’s mobility and a defence that held Dallas to 244 total yards, they have the tools to do exactly that.
New York Giants +7.5
$1.91 (1 unit)
Points Total
I lean towards the under, although this falls short of an official play.
Los Angeles’ offense looked awful in Melbourne. They produced only seven points; Stafford threw for 155 yards and the Rams failed to score after the first quarter.
The Giants defence also deserves credit for Week 1. Dallas managed only 244 total yards, while New York’s ability to control possession kept its defence fresh and reduced the number of opportunities Dak Prescott had to attack them.
If the Giants can reproduce that formula, sustained drives, a strong running game and manageable situations for Dart, it suits an under.
My hesitation is the venue. SoFi Stadium provides perfect offensive conditions, and there is too much talent on the Rams side to assume their Week 1 performance becomes the norm. A Stafford bounce-back could quickly turn this into a higher scoring game.
At 48-48.5, I prefer the under, but not strongly enough to bet it.
Total Points Under 48.5
$1.90
Player Props
Malik Nabers – Over 65.5 Receiving Yards
Nabers managed 69 yards in Week 1, and I think there is considerably more to come. The most encouraging number wasn’t necessarily his yardage. It was the nine targets.
Nabers immediately returned as New York’s most targeted player despite playing his first meaningful football since ACL surgery, catching six passes, and admitting afterwards that he felt rusty and left several opportunities on the field. Now he gets another week of training and recovery.
The expected game script also helps. Even though I like Giants +7.5, Los Angeles remain substantial favourites and New York are likely to spend portions of the second half throwing the football. If Nabers receives another eight-to-ten targets, 65.5 receiving yards is very achievable.
His Week 1 performance effectively reached this number while still shaking off rust.
Malik Nabers – Over 65.5 receiving yards
$1.90
Jaxson Dart Anytime Touchdown
Dart’s rushing ability makes this price appealing. He ran for 54 yards against Dallas, showing once again that designed runs and scrambling remain genuine parts of his game. That becomes particularly dangerous near the goal line.
The Rams may also place more emphasis on New York’s traditional running backs after watching Cam Skattebo succeed in Week 1, potentially opening opportunities for Dart to keep the football on option concepts.
At $3.55, we don’t need him to receive repeated designed carries. One redzone opportunity could be enough.
Jaxson Dart anytime touchdown
$3.55
Week 1 results should never be overreacted to. The Rams were one of the NFC’s best teams last season and remain loaded with high-end talent. Stafford isn’t suddenly finished, McVay hasn’t forgotten how to coach, and Los Angeles could easily look completely different after returning home.
But betting isn’t about deciding whether the Rams bounce back. It’s about whether they should be laying more than a touchdown while doing it.
The Rams have just completed one of the most demanding travel assignments possible, were beaten by 20 points in Melbourne and have now lost Garrett for at least four games.