New York Giants vs Kansas City Chiefs Predictions, Odds, Picks MNF

• Giants running back Saquon Barkley (ankle) could be healthy enough to play by Monday
• The 3-4 Kansas City Chiefs could use a bit more help from their 28th ranked defense
• The Chiefs have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last nine home games

Giants vs Chiefs Week 8 Odds

Giants vs Chiefs Week 8 odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook

The good news for New York Giants fans is that the team’s star running back Saquon Barkley (ankle) could be healthy enough to play on Monday after having missed several games with an ankle sprain, but regardless quarterback Daniel Jones must continue to evolve at the pro level, and against this Chiefs team that has become its own worst enemy that could very well happen.

For the 3-4 Kansas City Chiefs to save their sinking season, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his two favorite targets – WR Tyreek Hill and TE Travis Kelce – must stop forcing game-saving plays and just do what they do best which is slowly carve a defense up and outscore them, but that requires a bit more help from their 28th ranked defense or else this season might get away.

These two cross-conference rivals have played each other 14 other times, with the Kansas City Chiefs winning 3 of those games and the New York Giants winning 11 of the games.

Giants vs Chiefs Week 8 Predictions

Can Giants Running Back Saquon Barkley Return and Stay Healthy?

Very little information regarding the injury status of Giants running back Saquon Barkley (ankle) has been released, but given he is listed as questionable for this one it looks like he will be a last-minute game-time decision by he and head coach Joe Judge and the team’s medical staff.

Barkley was hurt back in Week 5 in the team’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys, 20-44, but before that he had 54 carries for 195 yards and two touchdowns plus 14 catches for 130 yards and another touchdown, numbers that his team’s offense is anxious to see again.

Should he play, Barkley will face a Kansas City defense that is ranked 27th against the run, so he should be able to put up some decent numbers and give his Giants the extra push from the backfield they have been missing since he’s been gone.

Can Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Stop Trying to Force the Big Plays?

When the Kansas City Chiefs are firing on all cylinders, they can outscore most NFL teams they play because they have Patrick Mahomes under center, the mobile quarterback with a rocket arm that can launch from just about any angle, including while he’s looking elsewhere.

But so far this season Mahomes has looked like he is trying to do too much as his defense allows opponents to gain over 400 total yards and score almost thirty points per game but forcing those big moments to hit has finally backfired and his offense has looked a bit lost.

For Mahomes and his top playmakers to get back to how things were when they were constantly winning, head coach Andy Reid must game plan a more balanced attack that “matriculates” the ball down the field gradually instead of getting it all in a few huge plays.

Giants Key Player: (QB) Daniel Jones

So far in the NFL, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has accumulated a 10-23 record as a starter with just two of those wins coming in the current season, but that is to be expected for a young player entering the league, the faster pace of pro football always shocking to the newbies.

But now it is Jones’s third NFL season, and he must begin to adjust to the faster speed by getting rid of the ball a bit quicker as he scans the field for open targets, playmakers like Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepherd, and tight end Evan Engram.

What could help Jones this Monday night the most is a return to the team of running back Saquon Barkley whose consistent run game puts opposing defenses in alignments far easier to throw against.

Chiefs Key Player: (SS) Tyrann Mathieu

Kansas City Chiefs strong safety Tyrann Mathieu is one of the key leaders of his team’s defense, a 28th ranked squad that is one of the main things keeping the Chiefs from dominating the opposition after allowing them to score 29 points per game.

Known as the Honey Badger, Mathieu has been busy so far this season with two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, four passes defended, and 31 total blocks with one of those for a loss on the field.

For 3-4 Kansas City to turn their spiraling season around, the defense must step up against these Giants so watch for Mathieu to have a big game, the NFL veteran due for an interception after not having posted one since he snagged a pair in a Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

How to Watch Giants vs Chiefs