Giants set for another close game

With just three weeks of the regular season to go, several games in the NFL this weekend have play-off implications for both teams and the biggest of these would appear to be the one between the New York Giants and the Kansas City Chiefs, late on Saturday night. The Giants, who stand at 9-4, can wrap up the NFC east divisional title with victory and a few other results going their way, while the Chiefs, who are 8-5, can still come through from the AFC west, though they probably need to win two of their final three games.

This game looks set to be a clash between two great running backs and two adventurous quarter-backs. In Kiki Barber, the Giants have a classy runner while Larry Johnson, who has 14 rushing touchdowns, has been a revelation for the Chiefs, whose offence traditionally relies on the passing of Trent Green. This year, their rushing offense ranks fourth in the NFL, while the Giants are eighth. In passing terms, Green and the chiefs are seventh while Eli Manning and the Giants are 10th - averaging 10 yards fewer through the air than their opponents.

The Giants have won eight of 10 meetings with the Chiefs and have won all five at home, so the odds are in their favour. While the offensive strength of both teams is pretty well documented, this one could come down to which of the defences perform best on the day and the running backs may have a tough day as both defences have been conceding fewer than 100 yards rushing per game.

After a narrow loss to the Seattle Seahawks, when Jay Feely missed three game-winning field goal attempts, the Giants have bounced back well and have generally made a habit of winning close games. In the end, home advantage could be the key here as New York are 6-1 at home, while the Chiefs are 3-4 away from Kansas City. In what's almost certain to be a close game, the Giants can win it at 21/20 (2.05), giving up just three points.